


Something just like this

by No_One_987



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Developing Friendships, F/M, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Modern Westeros, Multi, Other, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, asoiaf meets gossip girl meets pride and prejudice, star crossed lovers in a modern setting, the title might change, who is the endgame???
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:41:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 36,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23823997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/No_One_987/pseuds/No_One_987
Summary: ‘Forbid her anything and it became her heart’s desire.’ Lyanna Stark was fiercely headstrong and independent, who wanted to live life on her own terms.As Lyanna finds herself left to her own devices in King’s Landing, surprising set of events leads to her finding a partner in crime in Jaime and an unlikely friendship with the ‘married’ Rhaegar Targaryen.  Each with a baggage of his own, while her heartstrings pull her towards them, she also knows that falling for them will be like playing with fire.OrA tale where Lyanna Stark navigates adulthood, attending an Ivy league, while experiencing new friendships, betrayals, making enemies and a possibly budding romance while making stupid mistakes along the way and singing along to 'Don't blame me, love made me crazy, If it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right '
Relationships: Ashara Dayne/Ned Stark, Cersei Lannister/Jaime Lannister, Jaime Lannister/Lyanna Stark, Lyanna Stark/Rhaegar Targaryen, Robert Baratheon/Lyanna Stark
Comments: 61
Kudos: 85





	1. An Unexpected Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sad and lonely Lyanna meets someone unexpected at a bar.

While sitting at the bar of Dareon’s Plaza Hotel, Lyanna was wondering about the life choices she had made that had brought her here. She knew this semester was going to be dull, but that would have been an understatement.

Ned had abandoned her. Yes, it had all started with Ned and he was as much responsible, as her for her poor life choices. He was taking this semester abroad to mend his broken heart. Meanwhile, Lyanna would be here all alone in King’s Landing.

Ned was the one who had encouraged Robert to ask Lyanna out. She knew about her brother’s best friend’s reputation yet Ned had been able to convince her to give ‘poor Robert’ a chance. She had given her more than a chance. There was no doubt that Robert was strong, tall and handsome and also a man-whore. He just couldn’t keep it in his pants. 

For the first few months, everything was good, until one day Robert had a slip as he called it. Lyanna was outraged, she dumped him, Robert kept sending her flowers and gift and pestering her for apologies. Ned stepped in to save the day and Robert was given a chance. 

Things were just okay when she found out that Robert has gone to a bachelor party only to end up with the stripper in bed or rather strippers! Another round of fighting ensued, abuses were hurled, tears were shed and promises were made to be broken again. Again, Ned had stepped in and played the peacemaker. After a month of undeterred pestering from Robert, Lyanna finally gave in to give him a last chance. 

But ever since then honestly, Lyanna had been waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it did drop, she found out yesterday that Robert had a slip again and this time with Cersei Lannister. Well, the latter did not matter as much the fact that he did it again.

And this time Ned was not here to pick up the broken pieces and clean up the mess. He was gone. But Lyanna knew this time she wasn’t going to repeat her mistake. _To hell with Robert and his cheating. I’m not falling for that shit ever again._ She could feel the alcohol dizzying up her head yet the feeling of pain and betrayal had not numbed. 

A sideways glance showed her that Jaime Lannister was seated alone, two seats away from her.

“Not today” she muttered under her breath. Jaime Lannister was famous for his snide and scathing remarks. She did not need this right now. Not that she wasn’t a match for that acerbic tongue of his. It’s just she did not want to deal with this right now. 

She would have run away with her purse after paying the bill of course! if she wasn’t so damn drunk. But right now, all she could do was sit there, curse loudly and make an annoying face and watch as Jaime made his way to her. 

“You don’t want me here. And I don’t want to be here” he says with his all familiar smirk.

“Then why are you here?” 

“Because I am here drinking away my loneliness and I see you are doing that too. Thought we both could use some company”

“What gives you that impression?” she asks indignantly.

“Because you had drinks with your friends, you pretended to leave and came back again after 15 minutes.” He scoffs “Tell me if I’m wrong.” The smirk stays plastered on his face.

“Are you stalking me?”

“No. Just observing.”

“Like a psycho.”

“I guess you can say that”. Lyanna does not know what is it or whether it is the way he says it but they both start laughing. 

“I think I’ve just hit rock bottom.” She says while staring at her glass.

“Same here buddy!”

“First of all, from when are we buddies? And secondly, my excuse for this self-destructing alcoholic trip is a cheating boyfriend. What’s yours?” She is curious to know what has happened that has reduced the ‘The golden boy of Casterly Rock’ to such a state. He looks as if his world has been burnt down. Suddenly it dawns on Lyanna that he may be having a far more difficult time than her.

“Same as yours except that I thought she was the love of my life. Was, is. I don’t know shit anymore.”

Fucking hell that must be horrible. Lyanna was certain that she was 88% angry but somewhere she was heartbroken also like 10%. But to have the love of your life cheat on you! She also did not know shit about what having or finding ‘the love of your life’ felt like, much less losing them. Somewhere in that instant, she started feeling sad for him more than she did for herself.

“Two shots of…..” he looks at her.

“Tequila.” She smiles.

“Two shots of tequila it is”. The bartender happily obliges. 

“To sad and lonely people in a bar”

“To sad and lonely people in a bar”, Lyanna repeats.

After 3 more rounds, they just sit there laughing. She looks at him and finds his emerald green eyes staring back at him. There is something in those eyes, what she cannot decipher.

“You’re beautiful,” Jaime says while looking into her steel-grey eyes.

“And you’re drunk”, she muses.

Jaime brushes a strand of her brown hair away from her face and tucks it behind her ear. He then runs his thumb across her cheek and slowly leans in. Lyanna knows what it means, she knows what is about to happen and she is not sure if it’s a good idea. But then in that moment, she does not care. She finds her drawn to him and in turn leans in. Her lips part and she can feel his anguish, his sadness and his pain all at once. But that does not stop her because she realizes she has her own pain to drown. 

Before she knows it, her fingers are gripping his golden mane and Jaime’s hands are hugging her waist. 

“Let’s take this upstairs, shall we?” Jaime whispers.

Lyanna nods and they make their way to the elevator kissing passionately.

 _Seven Hells_ , a warning sounds in Lyanna’s head against her next course of action but she promptly chooses to ignore it.

Jaime’s tongue thrusts its way into Lyanna’s, both fighting for an upper hand, meanwhile, he fidgets with the key card to open the door. Lyanna wins this round with her tongue taking over Jaime’s mouth making him moan. 

But that only spurs Jaime into action. He tries to get her out of her dress. Lyanna quickly unbuttons his shirt. And soon his trousers join the dress and shirt lying on the floor. He scoops her in his arms and pushes her on the bed. He showers her neck with kisses and then moves down to her breasts. 

With every kiss, Lyanna melts a little more until she can no longer contain the moan building inside her. He suckles and pinches her nipples teasingly as his other hand, trace her ivory skin and make way to the wetness between her legs. Jaime’s lips move further south and Lyanna’s moans further encourage him. His tongue plays mercilessly with her clit, first suckling faster and then slower and she feels as if her world is going to explode. He is almost inside her when she remembers something and yells “Condoms”.

“Oh, fuck I forgot. Yes, I have it”.

He makes a quick grab for the condom and soon he is grinding into her, Lyanna’s nails scratching into his back. They struggle again for the upper hand, and she flips him and rides him with a taunting smile on her face. As Lyanna presses her lips to Jaime’s, he flips himself back to the top, taking control and this round Jaime wins. And while she feels him inside her while looking in those green emerald eyes, Lyanna comes and for a few seconds, she forgets everything the pain, the betrayal, everything. He joins her soon and then topples on her side. 

Lyanna wakes, face down at a mascara stained pillow. Her head is still swimming from the alcohol inside her system. It takes her a few seconds to realize where she is. She then recollects the events of the previous night, how she had been sad and lonely, how Jaime had joined her for drinks and well, how they had ended up sleeping together. She locates her phone and finds that it’s already 5:30 in the morning. If she is quick, she can get some food and lemonade in her system, attend her 10 o'clock class while managing to sneak in some sleep. It takes her some time to locate her bra with her wobbly head. She then proceeds to locate the rest of her dress and her purse. Before leaving she glances back at the room, Jaime is still snoring and she decides to leave him be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing anything! I hope this is not bad. Let me know if there is some mistake or typo.


	2. An Unexpected Ally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unexpectedly Lyanna and Jaime's one night stand turn into something more

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No beta.
> 
> Ages for reference:  
> Lyanna , Jaime, Cersei, Ashara:20  
> Ned, Robert:22  
> Rhaegar, Aurthur: 26  
> **will update as characters make their appearances

Lyanna wakes up, this time in her room realizing she snoozed her alarm and is running late by half an hour. “So much for some hours of sleep.” She mutters. She quickly gathers her stuff, changes into the nearest clean T-shirt she can find and a pair of jeans and hurries with her car keys.

Keeping an eye on the speedometer, she chugs the glass of lemonade while spilling some on her jeans. She curses and turns on the radio to distract herself. She does not want to think about the events of last night, dissect it, analyze it. No, she would do that later. _Sometime later. Maybe. But not now._ She finds Peggy Lee’s voice singing that It’s going to be a good day. “Ugh. Ominous.” She mutters and turns off the radio.

Lyanna rushes to her history class which will be taught by Prof Yandel. He has quite a reputation for his strictness. So, Lyanna scans the room and quickly grabs a seat. The class has almost filled out except for the seat next to her. Just before the class is about to begin, to her astonishment she finds Jaime Lannister taking the seat next to her.

Suddenly, the memories of last night flashed in her mind and they make her cheeks burn. She doesn’t quite understand the emotion but then she does not need to, she reasons.

_ Not Now. Not Now. Shit, what is he doing here? I need to have ‘ Let’s pretend last night never happened’ talk with him. But last night was fun. No Lyanna, focus you already have Robert mess to deal with, Ned has abandoned you. You don’t need this, not now. Plus, you’ll just end up being a rebound.  _ It feels like her head is going to explode.

She turns towards Jaime, half embarrassed and half enraged and asks “What are you doing here?”

“I go to this college. And I have enrolled for this course”. Jaime says with his smirk returning to his face.

She opens her mouth, to give ‘Let’s pretend last night never happened’ speech when she hears him saying “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not stalking you or anything. And about last night..”

_ Oh my god, why is he talking so loudly, about last night. _

“I mean last night was fun….”

_ So, he thought it was fun too. Okay. Whatever. _

“But let’s not be weird about this,” Jaime finishes.

“I’m not being weird. Don’t just presume….”

Their conversation is cut short by a scathing look from Professor Yandel. “Looks like you both have a lot of catching up to do. Which you both can do outside the class.” He points his fingers towards the door.

_ Wait, is this a warning? Or is he kicking us out of the class? I’ll just pretend to look somewhere else and meanwhile, ignore his gaze. _

“Out both of you!” Prof. Yandel yells.

They both gather their stuff and leave. On her way to exiting the class she can hear Yandel yelling “Anyone else having catching up to do can join them.”

“Thank you for getting me kicked out of the first class for Medieval History.” Lyanna angrily mouths at Jaime.

“I guess it was you who started talking to me. He was anyways going to bore us to death” he says and rolls his eyes.

“By the way, I was not being weird about last night. Don’t just presume things.” Lyanna explodes

“It’s just that. It’s just that.. you know after last night I was taken aback, surprised to see you sit there next to me in class. I was not being weird.” After her rant, she found some of her anger dissipating. But still, this foolish Jaime Lannister had gotten her kicked out of the class.

“By the way, aren’t you a little too dedicated to attend a class in which you were going to die out of boredom, given that you are possibly still hungover.” She inquires

_ Things just keep getting curious and curiouser with this Lannister. _

“Well, I could say the same for you”. 

Lyanna didn’t want to explain that she didn’t want to stay alone in that penthouse all day. In fact, that was the reason she came back to the bar after her friends had left.

Jaime finds Lyanna lost in her thoughts. He says “See you around” and leaves.

“See you around” she echoes back.

Lyanna was meeting up her friend Dacey Mormont for lunch at the dining hall. But thanks to being kicked out of class she had plenty of time to kill and was wondering what to do next when suddenly she heard someone calling her name. And unfortunately for her, she knew exactly who it was.

“Lyanna! Lyannnna. Wait up for me” Robert called after her.

_ You've got to be shitting me? _ She felt like yelling at her luck

It was too late for her to make a run or go hide somewhere now. She did not want to see his lying face and hear his pathetic excuses. There was a reason why she broke up with him on phone.

“What?” she demanded furiously.

“Why are you not picking up my calls or answering my texts.”

_ Are you kidding me? You self-entitled ass! _

“I’m sorry Lya. I really really am. Please don’t do this.” Robert begged

“This won’t happen again. I promise. This is the last time. Please Lya. We are good together and I..I love you. Please don’t do this.”

_ And he goes on and on like a broken tape recorder.  _ At this point in time Lyanna wanted to throw a brick at his face but controls her urges.

She took a deep breath and started “Robert, we are over.”

“Over.” She repeated just in case, it didn’t go through the thick skull of his, the first time.

“How long are we going to keep doing this. I can’t do this anymore. I’m so done.”

“Please Lya, just hear me out. Or maybe we could talk to Ned,” Robert bargained.

“No! Don’t you see. It’s like we are stuck in a loop, Robert. We keep doing the same things over and over again. And I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m done. Goodbye Robert.”

She began to leave and turned back to say “And Robert, if you don’t stop texting or calling me. I’ll block you on every god damn place possible. Goodbye.”

_ Ah, that was satisfying. _

* * *

Lyanna attended King’s College one of the most prestigious and oldest universities in the realm. It initially started as an institution of higher education for the Royal family and the children of the nobility. However, with time the college opened its gate to the rest of the world. A lot of its students still belonged to the upper echelons of the society.

But Lyanna had set her sights on King’s College for a different reason. It boasted of one of the best law programs in the realm and Lyanna had always envisioned a career in law or maybe public service.

However, even attending King’s College had been a battle in itself. Rickard Stark did not understand her need to have a law degree and moreover to stay so far away from home, in King’s Landing. She could have easily studied from the University at Winterfell. There were even other good universities, in Vale as well as Riverland. But Rickard Stark’s protest fell on deaf ears.

Instead, Lyanna argued that her brother Ned also went to school there and he would be there for him. Moreover, she argued that she and Ned could be present in benefits and social events and represent the interests of the North. For far too long, North had been away from the power centric King’s Landing.

Lyanna was lost in her thoughts when she heard Dacey’s voice, “Hi, I hope you are not hammered from last night.”

“Nope, not so much. Grab your lunch meanwhile I’ll get us a table”.

Lyanna was making way to her usual table when she saw Jaime sitting alone on his own. Something looked wrong, she was sure. Then she remembered that Jaime and Cersei had always been joined at the hip. For the first time in forever, she saw them separated. Instinctively, she tried to search for Cersei and spotted her at her usual place along with her minions fawning over her.

Cersei Lannister was an extremely ambitious and power-hungry individual with a penchant for vindictiveness. She thought that she was the Queen here at campus, and people went along with it because honestly, nobody wanted to mess with her.

Watching Jaime sitting alone for lunch, something prompted Lyanna to sit with him.

“You don’t want me here. And I don’t want to be here” she said with a teasing smile.

“And here I thought we had an agreement about not being weird about yesterday!” Jaime said with a raised eyebrow.

“Fine. Sorry, couldn’t help it. By the way, why are you sitting alone?”

“I could ask the same thing from you.” 

“Actually, I have company. My friend Dacey over there is just grabbing her lunch.” She pointed her finger towards Dacey. Dacey was always easy to spot, with her signature bright pink dyed hair and leather jacket.

Jaime looks in Dacey’s direction and asked, “Is she pretty?”

“Ugh, you are pathetic, you know.”

“Well, last night you didn’t find me pathetic,” Jaime teased.

“And here I thought we were done talking about last night.” 

Lyanna waved her hand to Dacey and she joined them on the table. Dacey looked surprised to see Jaime with Lyanna but then said hi and jumped in conversation with Lyanna.

“So, what’s the status with Robert? Dacey enquired.

“Well, I broke up with him again, this time face to face.”

“Oh, I thought you were avoiding him.”

“Well not much you can do, when you get cornered by the person you are avoiding. So, anyways I made it clear that we’re over. Just in case, it didn’t get through the thick skull of his, the first time. I also told him that I’ll block him if he pesters me this time. So, I guess, I’m all set.”

“Good for you. At the risk of repeating myself you should have dumped his ass a long time ago,” Dacey said. She was a person with a no-nonsense attitude and Lyanna loved her for that.

Lyanna saw that Jaime just sat there and kept gnawing at his sub and listening to the conversation like a total weirdo, but maybe an adorable one.

Then suddenly he spoke up, “Not my place, but yeah I totally agree with her.”

Lyanna made a face at him, what her expressions looked like she couldn’t tell, but that was enough to make Jaime shut up and go back to his sub.

* * *

Lyanna was going through the pre-reads for her next Political Science class when she heard her phone buzzing. Her face lit up when she saw it was a facetime from Ned.

“Hi, big brother.” She said with a big smile on her face.

“Hi, Lya,” Ned replied with a warm smile.

“So how’s Pentos? Made any new friends? Is campus housing suiting you?”

“Well, I’m still adjusting. The people here are friendly and merry. The food is a bit weird though.”

Lyanna chuckled “I bet you’re homesick.”

“Maybe. Listen Lya” suddenly the smile on Ned’s face was gone “I wanted to talk to you about Robert.”

“Ugggh. I was expecting this. He put you up to this. Didn’t he?” She hissed.

“Yes,” Ned said sheepishly.

“Listen, Ned, I know he is your best friend and you love him. But you seriously don’t expect me to take him back after he cheated on me again. I mean how many times! How many times are we going to do this? You, me him? I know he loves me in his own fucked up, twisted way. But, that’s not enough. I mean I deserve better. I deserve someone who can actually appreciate me when they’re with me. So no, this time I’m not taking him back.”

Ned solemnly nods and she is relieved.

“By the way, you don’t have to be weird with him or anything. I mean, he still is your best friend. You know.”

“How are you holding up?” Ned asked. His concern showed in his voice.

“I was angry, sad and humiliated yesterday. But I’m feeling better by the hour.”

“You want me to come back? I can come back.” Ned said quietly

“What! No. You don’t need to do that. You’ve just started your semester there. I’m pretty sure half of your things are still unpacked.” She said the last statement with a fond smile.

“And I’m fine. Getting finer by the hour. Just give me twenty-four hours and I’ll be totally back to normal. It’s not like I loved Robert or anything. And I’m meeting up with my friends, pretty sure we’ll have fun. So, don’t worry.”

“Which friends?” 

“Well, Alerie and….” Lyanna paused on the second name. But she knew there was no point pretending so she said it “And Ashara.”

“Oh,” Ned replied gloomily.

“Listen, Lya there someone’s at the door. I gotta go. Talk to you later.”

“Yeah, sure.”

So, Ned was still heartbroken over Ashara, not that she had expected Ned to recover so quickly. After all, they both had been so madly in love.

Lyanna was meeting Alerie and Ashara at some new fancy French café that Alerie had chosen for them. It was funny how the three of them had become so close. Ashara Dayne was in Lyanna’s opinion one the most beautiful women in all of Westeros. 

Her brother Ned, had a huge crush on Ashara. It was once at a party, that Lyanna and Brandon had pushed Ned to ask her out. They started dating and soon they became an item. It was while Ned was dating Ashara that she realized, that Ashara was not only gorgeous but also kind and caring. She was anything but pretentious, which was rare to find in King’s Landing. And before she knew it Ashara had become one of her closest friends. 

As for Alerie Hightower, Lyanna had met her first during freshman year and somewhere along the way, the three of them had become tightly knit.

Lyanna was walking by Dareon’s Plaza towards the café when she saw Jaime again. It was one of those weird things, that once you try to avoid someone, the Universe just keeps throwing them your way. Their eyes met briefly for a moment and it was too late to look the other way and pretend that she didn’t see him.

“Isn’t it too early to start stalking pretty ladies at the bar,” she teased Jaime who was just getting out of the hotel’s revolving door.

“I kinda live here.”

“What? I thought you lived at the posh Lannister penthouse on 5th.

“Ooh. Who’s stalking whom now?” Jaime teased back.

“I know because I attended one of your sister’s party.” As soon as Cersei was mentioned a dark look came over Jaime’s face.

“I gotta tell you, the drinks were good, food okayish but the company, terrible.”

“Let me give you a tip, the only party worth attending are the ones Tyrion throws. The food is great, drinks even better and the girls, mind blowing,” Jaime smirked.

“Duly noted.”

Seeing that Lyanna was still waiting for a proper answer he confessed, “I sort of had a fallout with my family. So that’s why I’m living here temporarily. I’m escaping my family.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Don’t be, it’s refreshing. You should give it a try,” he smirked.

“In my case, it looks like they are the ones escaping me.”

“See you around Lyanna.”

“Bye asshole,” Lyanna said with a playful smile.

* * *

“There’s the new single girl in town!” Alerie exclaimed as soon as she saw Lyanna.

By the time she had reached, Alerie and Ashara were already flipping through the menu.

“Hi Girls! Aly did you flunk your classes today?”

“Yeah. I mean I was jackhammered after last night. You know, I think we had too many margaritas yesterday.”

“How are you holding up?” Ashara asked Lyanna.

“Surprisingly relieved. Like some kind of burden is off my chest. I mean yesterday you both were there to witness my pain and anguish, but now I just feel relieved. ”Lyanna answered honestly.

“See, I told you all you needed was a girl’s night out loaded with good alcohol,” Alerie said with her bright smile

“I heard you got kicked out of Yandel’s class.”

Word travelled fast in King’s landing and even faster at their college and Alerie would always be at the top of any such news. She was a helpless gossip and would always keep her friends updated about the current affairs, not that Lyanna was even a bit interested.

“What happened?” Ashara asked.

“Jaime Lannister happened,” Lyanna said dryly.

She was thinking whether she should disclose her last night’s activity to her friends but then decided against it.

“What?” Ashara and Alerie asked together.

“Nothing really, just that Jaime and I were arguing and Yandel kicked us out.”

“Oh, that reminds me that, word on the street is that the Lannister clan has been fighting among themselves.” Alerie quickly chipped in

“That’s interesting,” Ashara said.

“Oh” was the only thing that Lyanna said. She knew about it, from a first-hand source herself and would have happily told Alerie more, had it been related to someone else. But somehow, she felt that she would be betraying Jaime’s trust.

“Also, rumour has it, Connie and Renly Baratheon are doing it,” Alerie said in a scandalous tone.

Lyanna wasn’t that surprised given, the looks Jon Connington used to give his friend Rhaegar Targaryen.

“I’m sure, it’s just a rumour,” Ashara said. “He asked me out to be his plus one for the benefit.”

“What did you tell him?” Lyanna asked.

“I wasn’t sure at first. But I think it’s time I start dating other people. So, I’m going out with him,” Ashara said in a small voice.

_ She’s trying to move on even though she doesn’t want to. Maybe Ned should move on too. But will he? Is moving on really a good idea?  _ Lyanna was unsure but what she was sure of was, that it wasn’t her place to meddle.

“I hope you haven’t forgotten I need your help to pick out a dress for the benefit gala,” Ashara said with a pointed look at Lyanna.

“Yeah. Even I need to get a dress.” Alerie excitedly said, mostly high simply from the idea of shopping itself.

“Ummm, I might have some work,” Lyanna said in a small voice

_ Come up with a good excuse. Quick. Think Lyanna think. Assignment? No. Date? No Shit I just dumped Robert. Funeral? Who can I kill? Who can I kill? They are from the South, they don’t know most people from the North. _

“You’re not bailing again,” Ashara said after reading her mind, “And you also need to pick a dress.”

“You know how much I hate shopping and you can pick one for me like always,” Lyanna protested, but today Alerie and Ashara were simply not having it.

“Fine. I’ll come,” Lyanna said with a resigned look on her face.

For the next class of Medieval History, Lyanna had planned to get there early. She did not want any more trouble with Yandel. She was making her way towards the class building when she suddenly found Robert coming towards her.

_ Wtf, Why now? You gotta be kidding me. Please be kidding. _

The last thing she needed was this before Yandel’s class.

_ Okay. Calm down I still have like 10 mins so I can be on time. Let’s just get over with it quickly. _

“Lyanna, did you block me?” Robert cornered her.

“I told you I will block you if you didn’t stop bothering me. Now get out of my way. I have a class to attend,” she hissed back.

“Wtf Lyanna, you can’t just block me. This is not okay.” Robert’s voice boomed.

By now students nearby had started looking at them. The last thing she wanted or needed was a public scene with Robert.

“Robert, seriously get out of my way. I have a class,” she fumed. Both of them could hear the anger rising in her voice.

“No. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me why are you doing this!” he seemed unaffected.

“Seriously Robert, I don’t have time for this. You want to yell in public, sure we can do that next time. But right now, I have to go to my class. So, get the fuck out of my way,” she yelled back.

“That’s convenient. As soon as you see me you have a class to go to.”

Lyanna wanted to hurl something at Robert at that moment, but instead, she pushed him hard to get him out of her way. But Robert was strong and instead he grabbed her hand tightly.

“Have you gone nuts, Robert? Let. Me. Gooo,” she yelled.

“You heard her, let her go.” Suddenly from the corner of her eyes, she saw Jaime stepping in.

“Lannister, why don’t you take your nose and stick it, where it belongs, in your business!” Robert barked.

Although Lyanna was thankful to Jaime for stepping in, it still didn’t help. For one their confrontation had only drawn more attention, with people gathering around. And worse she was going to be late for that class.

“If only you could keep your dick where it belongs, in your pants.” Jaime shot back.

Had it been a different time she would have hi-fived Jaime for the comeback. But right now, all she wanted to do was throw a brick at Robert’s head and run to the class.

“Why do you care?” Robert asked giving a suspicious look to Jaime.

“Because I’m her friend but that is not important. Let her go,” Jaime hissed.

“What if I don’t?” Robert challenged.

Jaime could see a fist curling on Lyanna’s right hand, that was free. She was most probably going to punch him.

“Buddy. One last time I’m asking you nicely, let her go.”

Robert just scoffed and before Lyanna could punch Robert herself, she saw Jaime pounce on Robert and go straight for his face. Instantly, Lyanna was free of Robert’s grip and Robert threw a punch back at Jaime. Punches were being thrown from both the sides, some were missing their target and some were landing at their intended destination.

“Enough guys. Both of you. Stop it!!” she heard herself yelling. Meanwhile, the spectators there had started live streaming this and putting up stories on Instagram.

Lyanna wanted to kill herself, but first, she was going to kill these two morons.

She could see some of the older boys from the grad school, Rhaegar Targaryen, Arthur Dayne and Oberyn Martell stepping forward to break the fight.

After a few seconds of struggling, they were able to separate the two. Robert being held back by Rhaegar and Arthur and Jaime being held back by Oberyn.

“What’s going on here?” they all turned around to see Professor Pycelle.

“What is this, a kindergarten or a college? “

“In my office”, he said looking at, Jaime with a bloody nose, and Robert with a black eye. “And you too Miss Stark.”

_ Excellent. Just what I fucking needed. Morons. _

She couldn’t believe her luck that she had not only missed her class but was in trouble because of two stupid testosterone-fuelled boys.

“King’s College is one of the most reputed universities across the globe. We cannot have our students hitting each other or behaving immaturely at our campus,” Pycelle said in his usual sleepy voice.

He shot a look at Jaime and then said “I’m letting you three, this time with a warning. However, next time you will find yourself, straight in Dean Aemon’s office.”

Lyanna was pretty sure that the only reason they got off with only a warning was because of Jaime’s involvement and Lannister ties with Prof Pycelle. It was well-known fact that Prof Pycelle always backed Lannister interest at the University.

“Let’s get your nose fixed up,” she said outside the office to Jaime.

Robert just gawked at them like a lunatic.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Jaime said.

“By the way, it was extremely stupid. What you did,” she said with a smile. Jaime was making a face while the nurse was cleaning up the blood from his nose.

“You’re welcome,” he smirked

“Please don’t talk,” the nurse said sternly to Jaime.

“Thanks. I mean I appreciate the gesture. But I don’t need someone to punch people for me. I can do my own punching.”

“Damn. Right. I saw you getting ready to punch Robert.”

“Don’t talk right now,” the nurse cut in again.

“I guess it was stupid. But then he deserved it. I mean who does he think he is, sleeping around with whoever and whenever he wants.”

“No talking,” The nurse bellowed.

Suddenly, it struck Lyanna that maybe punching Robert had less to do with her and more with Cersei. After all, Brandon had his own record of breaking jaws when it came to guys looking at Lyanna even the wrong way. And she could feel a rage suddenly filling inside her.

“I understand, that you’re concerned about your sister. But that doesn’t give you any right to punch Robert. I mean it was her decision too, you know to sleep with him. I mean don’t get me wrong, I don’t appreciate Robert cheating on me with Cersei. But it’s her choice who she wants to sleep with. You can’t just go around punching people, for that.”

Before Jaime could open his mouth, the nurse bellowed “No talking.” She gave a dirty look to Lyanna and said, “Miss please wait outside.”

“So what’s the verdict?” she asked as Jaime stepped out of the clinic.

“Well, let’s see apart from the fact that I look like a walrus and have a swollen wrist, I’m okay. But I’ll have to stay away from polo for some time.”

“You do look like a walrus,” Lyanna cooed.

“So, I guess I should head back to my hotel and drown my hand in an ice bag.” 

“You know what, I’ll drive you to my place. I owe you one anyway.”

* * *

“Miss, we have these for you,” the doorman said pointing towards a dozen of bouquets. They were bouquets of different flower combinations, they had orchids, carnation, roses, white lilies.

_ Omg, not again. _

“Please throw them out, Martin. And if more shows up throw them out too,” she said bitterly.

“From yours faithfully, Robert?” Jaime smirked.

“Yeah,” Lyanna grumbled.

“Not shabby Stark,” Jaime said as the elevator dinged and they both entered the foyer of her home.

“What, only Lannisters can afford a penthouse?” she teased back.

“So, you live here alone?” Jaime asked as they made their way to the couch.

“Well, Ned and I live here. But since he is away for a semester, currently I live here alone.”

She grabbed a pack of frozen peas from what looked like forever and tossed them towards Jaime. He caught it messily with his uninjured left hand.

“I think of getting a roommate, sometimes. But then it feels like too much of an effort.”

They were chatting on the couch when Jaime’s phone started ringing.

He took a deep breath and said, “I gotta take this.”

Lyanna could hear him mildly grumbling on the phone. When he came back, he tossed his phone on the coffee table and sat with a thud on the couch.

“I have managed to disappoint my father second time in a week. If I keep this up, I might soon be competing with Tyrion,” he said with an amused smile on his face.

“He’s disappointed that you punched Robert?” she inquired.

“Yes, but he is more disappointed that I have a bleeding nose.”

“Well, he could be proud of Robert’s black eye that you gave him.”

“He is,” Jaime smirked, “you don’t know my father, he is always like ‘If you fight, then you better win.’”

Lyanna was well aware like the rest of the Westeros, about the ruthlessness and ambitiousness of the Lannisters. She wondered if Jaime was like the rest of them. But something told her, that was not the case.

“I left our house, then I got in a fistfight, got punched. But you know what his biggest disappointment is, that I won’t be playing polo for the next two weeks and he won’t be able to flaunt his son’s talent.”

Jaime was one of the most talented Polo players out there in Westeros. In fact, he was the youngest player to be selected in a polo team, throughout the Westeros polo club circuit. No wonder, Tywin Lannister never wasted an opportunity to brag about Jaime’s talent.

Seeing Jaime rub his nose Lyanna raised an eyebrow at him.

“It’s a little itchy,” he said.

“In case your nose starts bleeding again we can stuff it up with tampons,” she offered.

“Haha. No thank you I don’t want to look like a fucking walrus.”

“Sorry, to break it to you, but you already look like a walrus.”

Lyanna grabbed a few fortune cookies from the pantry and offered them to Jaime. When he saw them, a sad tender look came over his face.

“Is everything all, right?” she asked concerned.

“Yes. It’s just that. I haven’t seen them in a long, long time.”

“I mean they were my mother’s favourite. I don’t remember much from back then. But I have distinct memory of the four of us huddling after dinner and grabbing fortune cookies,” he went on with a fond but sad smile on his face.

“But then my mother died and our life went to shit.”

Jaime’s face was catching the light of the falling sun and Lyanna could see his handsome features drowned in the light. She wanted to touch his face, lean in, maybe even kiss him.

_ Shut up Lyanna _ . Her brain warned and she decided to put away those thoughts.

“You know, I lost my mother too when I was a child. So, I can understand how you feel.”

“At least, you didn’t have to grow up with my father,” he scoffed.

“No, my father may not be as awful as your father sounds, but he was still a strict man engrossed with the idea of his family’s honour and legacy.”

And when Jaime looked at him, they both realized how much they had in common. Their recklessness, boldness, the quick temper, their sharp tongue, the dry sense of humour, similar childhood and never mind the colossal family expectation.

Lyanna opened her fortune cookie and read aloud “Your smile lights up someone’s day.”

She rolled her eyes and said “Boo. I wonder whose?”

“Hey, you have a pretty smile,” he said with a soft smile on his face.

“Okay. Your Turn. Go,” she said.

Jaime read his fortune aloud, “An unexpected relationship will become permanent.” As soon as he read it, he quickly dropped the paper on the table as if his hand had been seared by it.

“Ooohh,” Lyanna chimed in ominously.

They both started giggling and somewhere in that instant the huge wall of Ice that had always existed between the Lannisters and Starks thawed for a particular Lannister boy and a particular Stark girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> King's College is loosely based on Columbia and King's Landing on New York City. Do let me know your views on how the story is going. Dying to hear your thoughts. R+L fans out there, just hold on to your horses till the next update 🙈


	3. 'We hate Rhaegar Targaryen' club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...........  
> Apparently, Lyanna was too lost in her thoughts and Rhaegar, too lost in his phone to notice that they were set on a collision course.  
> ...........

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No beta.
> 
> Ages for reference:  
> Lyanna , Jaime, Cersei, Ashara:20  
> Ned, Robert:22  
> Rhaegar, Aurthur: 26  
> Jon Connington: 25  
> Mace Tyrell :24  
> **will update as characters make their appearances
> 
> Lyanna and Jaime were jamming to : https://youtu.be/oygrmJFKYZY

Lyanna fussed around with her eyeliner for the seventh time when she was able to get the perfect winged eyeliner on her right eye. 

_Ugh, finally they match. Why do I even bother with this shit?_ She questioned herself.

But she was in no hurry to reach the Wildlife Conservation Benefit Gala being hosted by the Targaryens. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror and saw the grey and white gown perfectly hugging her tiny waist and slender frame. She had picked a V neck dress that showed her cleavage just enough, with an open back. The beautiful grey silk organza skirt gradually faded into white as it lightly brushed off the floor with every movement. She saw that unintentionally she had picked the ‘Stark Colours’ – grey and white and that brought a smile to her lips. After all, the Stark family crest was a grey direwolf on an ice-white field.

The grey of the dress brought out the grey colour of her eyes. Alerie is going to badger her about why she didn’t do grey smokey eyes, Lyanna was sure. After all, she had shown her and Ashara, about two hundred beauty tutorials on how to do smokey eyes, on one sleepover.

Lyanna tries to remember but gives up thinking _I’m just going to end up looking like a freaking silverware._ Instead, she moves on to the next necessary task, taming her eyebrows.

_Ugh they are conspiring to take over my face, again._

After reigning them in with some eyebrow gel, she puts on mascara and lipstick. She picks up the expensive contour pallet that Alerie and Ashara had made her buy, almost opens it. 

_Nope, Lyanna who are you fooling this shit is too complicated for you_ and keeps it back on the dresser. Lyanna takes a final look at her reflection and sees her pale skin ensconcing her long face with sharp features and dark heavy brows and decides there’s not much she can do or knows to do.

Lyanna had never been the traditional beauty types like Ashara or Cersei. But she had been called a ‘wild beauty’ in the North and even by some in King’s Landing. She remembered it was when she had turned fifteen that boys started paying attention to her, much to the chagrin of Brandon. Brandon would always find a way to pick a fight with any guy who would try to get even close to Lyanna.

Lyanna brooded as she sat in the car. She was never the one for these society events, where everyone dressed up, flashed their big fake smiles and pretended to be each other’s friend when all they wanted to do was stab each other in the back. But she had to attend after all this was a part of the deal that she had with her father for attending King’s College.

And today was going to be especially painful, as today Lyanna was going to be all alone. Ned and Ashara’s company usually made these events tolerable, but Ned was not here now and Ashara would be with Jon Connington. Alerie would be busy with her long-time boyfriend Mace Tyrell. Dacey would be giving it a miss, as usual. And Jaime would be with his family. And Lyanna, Lyanna would be all alone.

Lyanna had initially assumed that Jaime would not be attending as he was ‘breaking away’ from his family. “Umm, no you see I’m escaping them not being cut off!” Jaime had explained during class. “In order to not being cut off, and to be able to afford my hotel room and well as my other necessities,” he said as he pointed shamelessly to his sneakers that would have costed easily upwards of three grands, “I need to show a united front with my family,” he continued.

“A, what?” Lyanna blinked.

“United front. Just pretend in society events that we are a big happy family so that there are no rumours.”

_Well, it’s a little too late for that._ She had thought, remembering Alerie’s scoop.

* * *

As Lyanna entered, she quickly scanned the room for Ashara and Alerie but most importantly for the waiter serving champagne. She would need lots of it today. “You look beautiful, but you know what is missing? A grey smokey eye,” Alerie exclaimed.

“You forget, I’m not skilled with brushes.” 

“Hey, there’s Ashara.”

Ashara looked divine in a red flowing backless dress. “Jon Connington is a very lucky man,” Mace suddenly spoke up, to which Alerie narrowed her eyes and darted a look at Mace.

“So are you, Mace,” Lyanna winked at him.

The night had been going exactly, as Lyanna had predicted. Though the three of them had been able to talk and laugh for some minutes, Jon Connington, stole Ashara away. She did not know him well enough to third wheel with them, so she decided to third wheel with her usual choice Alerie and Mace.

They had been dating ever since they were in high school. And she also liked Mace for Alerie, yes, he could be foolish and boisterous at times, but there was also a jovial side to him. And yes, he was ambitious, but then who in King’s Landing wasn’t? Mace was fond of Alerie and Alerie was fond of Mace, his handsome face and also the fact that he was the heir of the Tyrell Industries. Over the generations, Tyrells had dabbled in retail chain stores, hotel chains and fast-food chain with enormous success making them one of the most wealthy and powerful families in Westeros.

“Is Robert coming?” Alerie asked.

“I hope not,” Lyanna had hoped that the black eye would have been enough to deter Robert from attending today’s event and then these events had never been the kind of parties that Robert enjoyed. He was more the frat party kind of guy. But with Robert you could never tell.

“Honey, come here I want you to meet someone,” she heard Mace calling Alerie.

She spotted Jaime chatting with his siblings and keeping up the charade. Jaime looked handsome like always in his black tuxedo, with his sunny golden mane and his dashing smile. Cersei was standing next to him in a sexy golden sequin gown, channelling the sexy golden girl of Casterly Rock. 

Some people even called her the most beautiful woman, in Westeros. And while there was no denying that Cersei was beautiful, her beauty did not inspire warm and kind feelings. Instead, Cersei’s beauty had a tinge of meanness to it, in a Regina George kind of way. 

And then standing on Jaime’s other side was the party boy Tyrion Lannister. A mocking smile came over Lyanna’s face, as she stood there watching their charade while sipping champagne. To her surprise, the Lannister twins had spotted her mocking smile which was reciprocated by Jaime, by a genuine smile and Cersei simply glared at her.

_Ugh, I need loads more of this to make it through the night._

Lyanna went to the waiter serving drinks only to find him with red wine instead. She asked him where they were serving champagne but he was as clueless as she was. So, she swiped her empty glass for a glass of Chateau Margaux **.** Not that she could appreciate it, but that didn’t stop her from drinking it.

She saw Rhaella Targaryen in a beautiful ombre gown. With her beautiful silver hair twisted in a fancy bun and her purple eyes and kind smile, she looked like a guardian angel casually chatting with Lucerys Velaryon and Tytos Blackwood.

_My hairs are never going to stay in a fancy ass bun like that._

She also made a mental note to herself to thank Rhaegar Targaryen, Arthur Dayne or Oberyn Martell when she saw them, for stepping in and breaking the fight that day.

She wondered what Rhaella Targaryen’s life must be like. Did she like being the governor’s wife? Did she like going on these endless campaigns, smiling in front of the camera, always being the perfect host? Was she happy or was she just pretending to be happy?

She imagined herself in Rhaella Targaryen’s place for a minute and it scared the shit out of her. Was this what her future was going to be like? Hosting gala’s and fundraisers, smiling with people she doesn’t even like, pretending to be happy even when she may be crumbling from within, being just a trophy wife and most importantly pretending to be someone she is not.

Lost in her thoughts, she did not realize that she had bumped into someone wearing a white dinner jacket. Lyanna looked up to her horror that she had collided with none other than the hosts’ son, Rhaegar Targaryen and before she could stop it, the glass of red wine spilled partially across his gleaming dinner jacket and partially on his phone that he was holding.

Apparently, Lyanna was too lost in her thoughts and Rhaegar, too lost in his phone to notice that they were set on a collision course. 

She just stood there dumbfounded with a gaping expression, with the spilled wine, with the shattered glass on the floor and with Rhaegar Targaryen looking like he would simultaneously combust.

To make matters worse, she found people staring in their direction. Thankfully, Arthur quickly stepped in to diffuse the situation. “Please get this cleaned up,” he said pointing to the shattered glasses, “and get me some tissues. Quick,” he said to the nearest waiter. Meanwhile, Lyanna just stood there like a dumb idiot.

_Holy Shit Lyanna. What if that stain doesn’t come off? Why did he have to wear a white dinner jacket? Gods, why was I drinking wine in the first place? I don’t even like that shit._

She somehow managed to croak “I’m really, really sorry.”

“Are you okay?” Arthur asked both of them.

“Yes, but I can’t say the same for my phone,” grumbled Rhaegar.

“Never been better,” Lyanna found herself saying involuntarily.

_Not the time to be funny, Lyanna. A simple yes would have sufficed._

As two waiters, hurried towards them with tissue paper enough to wipe everyone’s jackets at the dinner, she wondered what her next steps should be.

_Should I offer to wipe his jacket? Or should I simply take the tissue and start wiping it? Or should I just say sorry again and run?_

In a fit of nervousness, she just seized a handful of tissues and tried to wipe Rhaegar’s jacket while muttering “I’m really sorry again, let me help you.” She found Rhaegar’s hand blocking her own.

“Thank you, but I think you have done enough for today,” he said in an acerbic tone.

As if that wasn’t enough, he further went on, “And please be careful, I think you’ve had a bit too much wine today.”

She could see people looking at her as if she was E.T. Their eyes boring into her skull as if she was a drunkard or a dumb wit. She could hear Cersei’s voice saying “Northern fool” followed by her laughter.

And suddenly Lyanna wanted to run away. But instead, she found herself walking gracefully towards the exit. And once she was out of sight, she ran.

As she sat down on the steps of the building, she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. 

Rhaegar Targaryen was a grad student at King’s College Law School. Everyone she knew had told her, that Rhaegar Targaryen was a perfect gentleman. That he was chivalrous, intelligent and polite. But instead, Lyanna discovered for herself that he was just an arrogant, pretentious, rude prick, who pretended to be polite and chivalrous.

And instantly with that one small incident, all the feelings of pain, anguish, betrayal that she had somehow buried last week were gnawing at her again. She wanted to go back home. To Winterfell. To Benjen, to Ned, to Brandon, to their father and even back to the annoying old Nan. 

And for a heartbeat, she thought of taking the jet and going back to Winterfell. But then she remembered that Benjen was at some boarding school, Ned was in Pentos, and Brandon and father were busy looking after their Energy conglomerate, Stark Inc.

She was booking a ride on Uber when she saw Jaime standing there, smelling of cigarettes.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

Up until this point Lyanna had been able to hold back her tears, but when she heard Jaime’s concern in his voice, involuntarily the tears broke loose.

“Lyanna, are you okay?” he asked gently wiping her tears away. He had a soft look on his face.

“No, I’m not. I hate this place, and I hate the people here with their fake smiles and fake courtesies when all they want to do is stab you in the back. And I hate even more rude, arrogant, pretentious brats, who think they can treat people like shit because they are handsome, rich and once their ancestors ruled Westeros.”

“Okay, I get a feeling we are bitching about someone in particular. Who is it? So, I can contribute more to this session.”

“Rhaegar Targaryen,” she said and rolled her eyes.

“Oh, that prick, he is totally overrated. I don’t even know what girls see in him and if you ask me, his silver hair looks like Dumbledore’s beard.” With that comment, Jaime could see a ghost of a smile trying to appear on Lyanna’s face.

“What are you doing?” he asked Lyanna, who was busy switching between Uber and Lyft.

“Getting a ride home.”

“Where’s your chauffeur?”

“Mace and Alerie were supposed to drop me home. But it’s fine.”

Suddenly Jaime snatched her phone from her hands and he started entering another address.

“What are you doing?” Lyanna asked suspiciously.

“I know this place in Chinatown that serves the best dumpling in all of Westeros. And these dumplings are magical, I kid you not. No matter what, they can always cheer you up. And as a fellow member of ‘We hate Rhaegar Targaryen Club’ it is my duty to treat you with those magical dumplings while we bash that asshole.” Jaime smirked and with that, he saw the smile that had been trying to appear on Lyanna’s face, break free.

“Okay. Our ride is arriving in 5 minutes. Wait, What about your family? Don’t you need to put up a ‘united front’ with your family,” she asked while making air quotes.

“Aah, I’ve been here through three fourth of the event. So, I guess, they’ll be fine.”

As they got inside the cab, Lyanna asked cheekily, “Jaime tell me honestly, you hate Rhaegar because you are jealous of his hair, right?”

“Oh, Pleeease. Just look at these babies,” he said while doing a hair flip like Beyonce. “I’m pretty sure he’s jealous of my hair, just like the rest of the Westeros.”

They went to an authentic Chinese restaurant, that was small and looked straight out of a Kung-fu movie. She wondered how out of place they must have looked, two people in black-tie attire sitting in a small Chinese restaurant that mostly served takeaways. But then she was so glad that Jaime had brought her here and not some fancy ass fine dining place or those Chinese restaurant chains with everything standardized and zero authenticity. 

This place had a soul which was so often missing in places and things and even in people in King’s Landing.

“The verdict?” he asked.

“These are awesome. Truly the best dumplings I have ever eaten.”

“Told you,” that smug look was back on Jaime’s face but now Lyanna had started warming up to it to the point she found it borderline adorable.

Lyanna had finished her portions by the time Jaime had finished only half his portions.

“Are you eating your food or sniffing it?” 

“I grew up with three brothers, if you didn’t eat fast; you didn’t get food.”

“You know what can top this meal?” Lyanna asked as they made their exit.

“Great sex?” Jaime joked.

“Very funny,” she rolled her eyes. “A good dessert.”

“Next stop supermarket, then we head back to my place.”

“Wait why supermarket?” Jaime asked confused.

“Because I’m making Lyanna’s special waffles.”

As they entered the store and Lyanna was browsing through maple syrup aisle, Jaime asked, “but isn’t waffle, a breakfast food?”

“Umm, first of all as members of ‘Non-judgmental breakfast club’ eating breakfast food at any time of day is acceptable.” Non-judgmental breakfast club is what Jaime had jokingly called the two of them a few days back. “And secondly, today’s your lucky day that I am making Lyanna’s special. It is the best waffle in town. I. Kid. You. Not.” She mimicked Jaime on the last part.

“I guess Yay,” Jaime says with a deadpan face.

“Voila,” Lyanna said as she presented double-tiered waffle drowning in chocolate sauce, topped by ice cream and syrups.

“Omg, this is so good.” Jaime moaned.

“Told ya.”

As she sat there on the couch eating waffles and laughing at his lame-ass jokes, for a moment their eyes met and she saw a familiar look, that she had once seen in a bar. 

She sees Jaime’s eyes darting to her lips and then back to her eyes. He holds the gaze for a second longer, and Lyanna is sure that if this keeps up, they are going to end up kissing or maybe even more than kissing. But then she hears a notification chiming in someone’s phone and the moment is lost.

“Holy shit, it's two in the morning, I should get back….”

“to your hotel room?” she asks.

“Yeah.”

But she doesn’t want him to leave, not yet. She wonders what is it about their friendship, that makes her feel that she has known him forever when honestly it has just been a week.

“You know, you can stay here. I have an empty guest room and I think Ned is almost the same size as you, so you can wear his t-shirt and sweats.”

“Umm, I don’t know. It’s not that late you know.”

“No, please stay.” He could hear the sincerity in her voice. “Plus, I don’t want to stay alone in this penthouse,” she admitted.

“Okay. Fine.” Jaime finally caved, but something told Lyanna that he wanted to.

* * *

“Good Morning” Lyanna smiles, as Jaime comes downstairs in his last night’s tuxedo.

"What?” he asks as Lyanna chuckles.

“Nothing, just never thought I’ll see you grace these stairs with your walk of shame.” Lyanna teases as they get in the elevator.

Jaime looks at his reflection and smirks, “I hope I’m giving off the vibe that I had a very fun and satisfying time last night,” he teases back.

“You’re such a tease Jaime,” she says playfully.

“So, I was thinking I can drop you off at your hotel and before that, how about we grab some coffee and donuts?” she asks.

“Sounds like a plan,” he said as they stepped outside the building.

Lyanna could hear someone yelling her name and she turned with dread as she knew it was Robert. “Lyanna, why isn’t your doorman letting me in?” she heard Robert yelling.

_Fucking hell. And here we go again._

“For Christ’s sake, what are you doing here?” Lyanna asked, with her irritation clearly visible on her face.

“Did you ask your doorman to not let me in?” Robert asked incredulously. He hadn’t noticed Jaime till then, but as he looked at Jaime standing there in last night’s tuxedo, it appeared as if Robert had been set ablaze.

_Oh boy, this is not going to look good._

“What the fuck is he doing here? Are you sleeping with him?” Robert asked suspiciously.

“Is this what it is about, you breaking up with me because you are sleeping with him?”

“What the hell is wrong with you Robert? Nooo,” she yelled back angrily. At this point, she had lost all her patience. “Don’t you dare make this about me. We broke up because of you cheating on me.”

She could see that the old wealthy lady from her building and another woman with a stroller was looking at them like they were looking at live Bachelor in Paradise. But at this point, she really couldn't care less.

“Robert, I don’t know how to say this to you, so you understand for once and for all, that I don’t want you in my life anymore. I don’t want your texts or your phone calls or your stupid flowers or you squatting in front of my building. You should move on because we are never ever ever EVER getting back together.”

“Is that what you are doing, moving on with him?” Robert asked incredulously.

“Oh my god Robert,” Lyanna yelled.

“You son of a bitch. Stay away from her,” Robert fumed as he moved towards Jaime.

“Or what are you going to do? Huh? Want another black eye, to give this one some company?” Jaime hissed viciously.

“Jaime, Stop,” Lyanna interjected.

“Listen, Robert, I’m serious if I find you lurking here and bothering me again, I’ll be forced to file a restraining order against you.”

“Let’s go, Jaime.”

“Did you just quote a Taylor Swift song while breaking up with your ex?” Jaime asked in an attempt to diffuse her anger.

“Go to hell,” she grinned and Jaime found himself successful.

They sat in Lyanna’s convertible and Jaime asked, “Okay I’m curious, why did you date such an asshole, in the first place?”

“Because he was my brother’s best friend,” she said while rolling her eyes.

“I never really understood how the cold, aloof and ‘good kid’, Ned Stark became best friends with the wild, loud party boy Robert Baratheon.”

“Hey, Ned is not cold and aloof, he is shy, sweet and sensitive,” Lyanna protested.

Jaime stole the aviators that Lyanna was wearing, and wore them instead. To which she shot him an irritated look, “Why are you stealing my glasses. Anyways they are..”

“Unisex”, Jaime cut in before Lyanna could finish. “Because they suit me better and I need them more,” he smirked and turned on the radio. He switched between stations until he found the one, he liked and to Lyanna’s surprise, he started singing along with it.

‘If you don't wanna see me dancing with somebody,’ Jaime chimed.

Lyanna knew this song and she joined him singing the next lines.

And she wondered how funny they looked right now, with Jaime in his tuxedo sporting an aviator and Lyanna driving in convertible jamming to a Dua Lipa hit.

* * *

Lyanna was supposed to meet Ashara and Alerie in the Gothic ornate building of St. Aerion’s hall. It was used by the members of the fraternity of St. A’s. It was touted as one of the secret societies in King’s College but in reality, they were notorious for mostly choosing students belonging from noble or wealthy families. Lyanna had no personal interest in joining any such fraternity, but she was mindful of her end of the bargain that she had struck with her father for attending this University.

While Lyanna was looking for her friends there, she found Cersei with her minions walking towards her. Cersei wore her haughty look as always, “Are you fucking my brother?” she asked. The edge in her voice was unmistakable.

This was the second time today she was accused of sleeping with Jaime. But hadn’t she actually slept with him? This was all becoming very confusing for Lyanna.

“Always straight to the point, aren’t you? Can we go somewhere else and talk?” she asked. She had enough of public scenes for a lifetime ever since the fistfight between Jaime and Robert.

“Oh, so you are fucking him but you won’t acknowledge it in public?” Cersei continued. Cersei saw that Lyanna was trying to avoid a public confrontation and Cersei wasn’t going to give that to her or anything else for that matter.

_Does she know about that night? Has Jaime told her? Or is she talking about last night?_

“You should have this conversation with Jaime,” Lyanna says, trying to play it safe.

“He was seen today exiting your building and I checked with my sources, he wasn’t last night at his hotel, only returned this morning to change,” Cersei continued unaffected.

_Wtf, this family is psycho._

“Does Jaime know you keep tabs on him?” Lyanna asked enraged.

“Listen to me, stay away from my brother or else you will wish you had never left that frigid wasteland of yours,” Cersei said with a smirk on her face and poison in her voice.

“Here’s the thing I don’t scare easy. I’m going to be in Jaime’s life as long as he wants me there. I am not taking orders from you.” Lyanna said and stormed off. Then it dawned on Lyanna that she had unintentionally made a dangerous enemy.

As Lyanna sat there fuming, she saw Alerie and Ashara coming towards her.

“So we heard you had a showdown with Queen C.” Alerie said as she sat next to Lyanna.

In reply Lyanna just rolled her eyes. “And you are doing it with Jaime Lannister! When were you going to tell us that?”

It was third time now someone had accused her of sleeping with Jaime and her irritation was clearly visible on her face.

“You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to,” Ashara said.

“Of course, she wants to tell us, we are her friends,” Alerie exclaimed.

“I didn’t sleep last night with Jaime,” she said and wondered how much she should tell them about her once upon a time nocturnal activity with Jaime, but then she decided to come clean. After all, they were her friends and better they should know it from her then from someone else.

“Omg, this explains why he punched Robert. He is soooo into you!”Alerie exclaimed.

“No, he is not. And that fight wasn’t because of me, trust me.”

“Wow, Lyanna Stark moving on from Baratheon heir to Lannister heir. Not bad!”

Lyanna wondered if Alerie had even heard her and rolled her eyes again.

“You know I have never cared for these things Aly.”

“What did Cersei want from you?” Ashara asked. Lyanna was thankful for moving away from that bothersome borderline accusation.

“She threatened me to stay away from Jaime. There is something seriously wrong with that family. You know she keeps tabs on Jaime. I wondered how she got to know that Jaime had a sleepover at my place.”

“Because Robert was blabbing all over the campus and I quote ‘I went to woo her back and she was sleeping with the blonde Lannister bastard.’” Alerie chimed in.

“Woo me back, my ass. If by wooing he means squatting in front of my building. Sure.” Lyanna scoffed.

“What did you tell Cersei?” Ashara asked.

“That you don’t mess with Lyanna Stark,” she smirked.

As Lyanna was heading towards the Dining Hall with Jaime, she wondered what public drama or confrontation was awaiting her today. In the last two weeks, she had been part of enough public scenes than she had been in her entire life. As she was looking around nervously, she spotted Cersei on a bench.

_Oh, dear lord. This isn’t going to end well._

She knew Jaime, Cersei and she was a combustible combination and contemplated if they should take a detour just to avoid her. But at the same time, she also did not want Cersei to think that she was scared of her, because she was not. 

As they neared the bench, she could see Cersei with her haughty expression, like a wounded lioness waiting to pounce on her prey. As if somehow, Jaime had sensed Lyanna’s thoughts, he stopped in his tracks and turned towards her and said “Stay here”. Lyanna had never seen him so serious. 

She had not told him about the confrontation that day at St. A’s. But Lyanna was sure that the speed at which news travelled here, Jaime would have surely heard of it.

Lyanna saw Jaime walking up to Cersei, and Cersei’s expressions becoming increasingly taunting. She could not hear what they were arguing about in hushed voices until Jaime’s voice suddenly shot up, “And whose fault is that, dear sister,” the acidity unmistakable in the last two words. “This is between you and me, leave her out of this.”

Jaime stormed off and looked at Lyanna to join him, meanwhile Cersei just sat there glaring at her, with the same green eyes as Jaime’s, turning darker.

_Okay, I have definitely, definitely made a mortal enemy there._

“Jaime, I don’t want you to fight with your family because of me,” she said in a small voice.

He gave a small chuckle, “You found me living in a hotel, didn’t you? This thing has been going on for some time between me and Cersei. I’m sorry that you became a collateral damage.”

_Collateral damage is that all I am? Or a one-night stand to drown your sorrow._

But then she remembered, he was the same for her, at least initially. Lyanna realized that dwelling on these stupid thoughts won’t help and instead found herself asking, “What have you been fighting about?”

“Let’s not go there,” he said with a smug smile but she could sense something deeper hiding beneath the smile. “So, you are coming to the polo match tomorrow?” he asked quickly changing the topic.

“Now that you are back on the team, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

* * *

Lyanna sat down for lunch at the polo club and found herself more than a little pissed. The match had been close, and Jaime had played really well but in the last few seconds of the last chukka, Rhaegar had ridden off Jaime and passed the ball to Arthur for a last-minute goal. And with Arthur’s goal, Jaime’s team had lost the match.

Lyanna was trying to spot Jaime when Alerie asked, “So what’s going on between you two?”

“Nothing, we are just friends…who just happened to sleep together once. Anyway, I had been thinking of asking you this, who is Jaime’s ex?”

She had been curious lately and Jaime had never mentioned her except for that one night at the bar.

“So, you’re interested I take it?” Alerie teased.

“No, I’m just curious.”

“Curiosity is the first step baby,” Alerie cooed.

“Umm Actually, both the Lannister twins have been extremely tight-lipped about their love life, until recently Cersei’s sleeping with Robert. There has always been speculations and rumours about who they have dated but nothing confirmed. At one point I’ve heard Jaime has dated Lysa Tully. “

“Lysa Tully as in Cersei’s new minion Lysa?” Lyanna asked incredulously.

“I know it’s hard to believe but that’s what I’ve heard. So, you’ve got a pretty clean shot at this,” Alerie smirked.

“Except I’m not interested.”

_I’m not interested, right?_

“How did your movie date go with Connie,” Alerie asked.

“It was good but kinda weird,” Ashara replied.

“Good weird or bad weird?” Lyanna asked.

“I don’t know, just at times he seemed distant and confused and I’m confused too. So, let’s see.”

Lyanna looked at the table where Jon was sitting, she saw him eyeing Rhaegar. And instinctively as she followed Jon’s gaze to Rhaegar, she found Rhaegar looking towards her. In a hurry, she quickly looked down at her plate.

After bidding her friends goodbye, Lyanna walked towards the stables, the one place where she knew she could find some peace of mind. The last few weeks had been jittery and being around horses would be the perfect cure she figured. Lyanna had always had this unexplained connection with the horses just like Brandon. As if they could understand her, and she could understand them.

As she walked towards the stables, she had this weird feeling, that someone was watching her. She turned to look around but found nothing but empty field and pavilion. On entering the stable, she found a beautiful black stallion in one of the stalls.

“Hi Handsome, you did good today,” she said as she stroked the horse’s neck gently and he nuzzled.

As she stood there patting the horse’s neck, she had the weird feeling of being watched again.

“Hello, Is anybody there?” she called out to an empty stable.

Shaking off the feeling, she thought of brushing his coat. And as Lyanna moved to get a brush, she saw a shadow near the entry. She was sure that someone was there. A million thoughts whizzed through her head.

_Could it be Robert? But Robert wasn’t at today’s game. And Robert would never hurt me._

Lyanna could use the pepper spray in her purse, but that would only scare and distress the horses. She quickly grabbed the swiss army knife, faced the entrance and asked in a calm voice, “I know you are there. If you don’t want to be stabbed please come out.”

And then she saw Rhaegar Targaryen stumbling out from the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my head Cersei is someone like Blair Waldorf, Tyrion would definitely be like Chuck Bass just more clever.
> 
> for R+L peeps out there, I'm so sorry for the minimum interaction in this chapter but I promise next chapter is going to be golden.
> 
> Would love, love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> xoxo


	4. Tender is the night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyanna has a hearty conservation at a party with someone she thought was an arrogant jerk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Beta
> 
> Ages for reference:  
> Lyanna , Jaime, Cersei, Ashara:20  
> Ned, Robert, Richard Lonmouth :22  
> Rhaegar, Aurthur: 26  
> Jon Connington: 25  
> Mace Tyrell :24  
> **will update as characters make their appearances

Lyanna stands there astounded as she sees Rhaegar Targaryen stumbling out from the shadows. 

“What the fuck” she hears herself cursing loudly.

“I’m really sorry, I did not mean to scare you.”

He takes few steps closer towards the stall where she is standing and Lyanna realizes she looks stupid with the Swiss knife still gripped tightly in her arm and relaxes her posture.

“Why didn’t you answer the first time?” she asks as she looks in those indigo eyes. 

Although Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen ran in the same social circles, went to the same University yet there had never been an occasion that necessitated their personal interaction. It was hard not to notice his deep purple eyes, his shining flowing silver hair, his handsome face, but then she remembered he was also an arrogant prick.

“It might sound lame”, he hesitates and then continues “I did not know how to approach you.”

“What?” the confusion is clearly visible on Lyanna’s face.

“I came here to apologize about the other night at the gala. My behavior was rude.”

“Yes, it was.” Rhaegar finds no hint of softness in her voice.

“I’m really sorry about it. I…”, mid-way he gets distracted by the horse nuzzling Lyanna. “That’s interesting. Did you feed him apples?” he asks.

“No, why?”

“Dante is really shy. He does not make friends easily.” 

Lyanna chuckles and says, “One of my superpowers is that all horses love me. And I love them.”

“Is he yours?” She asks.

“Yes.”

“He is beautiful.” Lyanna remarks as she strokes the horse’s neck. 

Talking about horses dissipates the lingering tension in the air and Rhaegar notices that Lyanna looks visibly relaxed.

“So, do you scare everyone to death before apologizing or am I just special?” Lyanna asks as she turns to look at Rhaegar while continuing to stroke Dante’s neck softly.

“I did not mean to scare you and I want you to know that my behavior that night was, unlike me.” Lyanna could hear his voice ringing with sincerity. She could tell that he was not saying those things to be polite, that he meant it.

He continued while looking straight at her, “I don’t mean this as an excuse. I had no right to treat you that way. I just want you to know that it was one of those days, where anything that can possibly go wrong, goes wrong. I had pulled an all-nighter to submit my paper barely few minutes before the deadline, Elia was sick, the kids wouldn’t stop crying, Viserys… . A lot of things were going on in the family. I only went to the gala to support my mother and I was barely holding by a thread...”

“When some stupid girl spilled wine on your jacket and you exploded.”, Lyanna finished.

“In my defense, that jacket was my favorite. It was a gift from Uncle Aemon.” She sees a soft look on Rhaegar’s face momentarily and then it is gone. 

“Please tell me the jacket is going to make it. I really feel bad about it.”

“The dry cleaner has told me not to be too optimistic, but let’s see.”

“I’m sorry again about the jacket.”

“Hey, no worries, it was an accident. And I’m sorry again for my behaviour.”

“It’s okay. You were having a rough day, happens to everyone and I think we both have apologized enough.” Lyanna said with a small smile. “Can I give you a piece of advice?”

“Yes” Rhaegar replies but he looks a little unsure.

“Next time when you are having a shitty day, don’t go to a party wearing your favorite white jacket.”

“Duly noted.” He says and for the first time Lyanna sees what appears like a small smile on Rhaegar’s face.

“Looks like Dante really likes you. Would you like to feed him?” Rhaegar asked looking at the black polo pony.

“Would love to.” 

* * *

Lyanna stood there looking at the microwave timer and hearing the popcorns pop. Randomly she recalled Rhaegar Tararyen’s apology at the polo club, the sincerity in his eyes and for a heartbeat she even recalled his beautiful silver hair and his handsome face.

Rhaegar Targaryen was not only a popular and well-loved member of the royal family but he was also the governor’s son. People in positions of power often mistreated people without batting an eyelid. But the fact that he had sought her personally to apologize said a lot about his character. Maybe he was a perfect gentleman after all, as they said and maybe she had just caught him off guard on a rough day she wondered.

She took the popcorn bag and set it on the couch between them as Jaime sat there picking which series to stream.

“So, what are we watching?” Lyanna asked.

“We could binge watch Stranger Things again” Jaime replied indecisively while still scrolling through the series titles.

“I thought we were going to watch a movie.”

“Fine, movie it is then, what do you wanna see?” Jaime turns his face towards Lyanna.

“Anything that is not too corny or cheesy”, she replied.

Lyanna hadn’t mentioned the Rhaegar incident to Jaime yet because she hadn’t considered it necessary and mainly because she knew he would tease her mercilessly. But since Jaime had unexpectedly become Lyanna’s confidante over the past month, she decided to tell him.

“You know something really interesting happened last week after the polo match” Lyanna said mysteriously.

“What?” Jaime asked. She could tell he was curious.

“Rhaegar Targaryen apologized to me.”

“What? When?”

“Turns out he is not that bad after all” Lyanna says in a small voice.

“Omg please don’t tell me that now you are also swooning about his beautiful silver hair and his handsome face like the rest of the girls.” He said pretending to be horrified.

“Jaime, did you just admit that Rhaegar has beautiful hair?”, Lyanna teased as she rested her head on the couch supported by her arms.

“No, I did not.”

“Yes, you SO DID.”

“No, I did NOT.” He playfully yelled and started poking Lyanna in the ribs.

“Are you trying to start a tickle war with someone who cannot be tickled?” Lyanna asked incredulously as she poked him back. She could see a fit of laughter tumbling from Jaime’s lips.

“I know your weak spot, Stark.” He said and grabbed her ankles and tickled her between her toes.

She swiftly but playfully kicked him with her feet and Jaime was caught off guard but he maintained his grip on her ankles and they both fell off the couch laughing.

As Lyanna lay there flat on the ground, being tickled to death she couldn’t place a name on this feeling, but she knew she hadn’t felt something like this for a very long time.

* * *

The blank word document screen kept staring back at Lyanna as she was busy scrolling through her Instagram instead of finishing her paper that was due in a few hours. She had somehow landed upon a photo taken years ago of her, Ned, Benjen, and Brandon during the summer at Winterfell. All of them were still in school, Benjen looked like the little kid he was, Lyanna found her awkward pre-teen self, Ned was being shy and Brandon was just being Brandon. The photo brought back so many memories and her heart ached for her family, for her home, for Winterfell, for the cold and beautiful North but mostly for her stupid brothers. The next photo she found was of her and Ned, a selfie taken at an awkward angle where they were trying to make funny faces and failing miserably.

Instinctively she found herself video calling Ned. Luckily for her, a sweaty Ned picked up the call as he was making his way to his dorm room.

“What’s up big brother?” Lyanna’s excited voice poured through Ned’s phone.

“Just returned from my daily run” Ned answered while wiping his sweaty face with a towel. The haunted look that Ned had before he was leaving for Pentos was gone. He looked almost recovered from his heartbreak but then Lyanna also knew that Ned was very good at hiding his sufferings.

“How is Pentos treating you?”

“It’s good. Things are finally beginning to settle down.” He answers with a warm smile.

“Looks like you had a fun trip to Bravos.” Lyanna had been mildly surprised to see Ned’s post, of him standing beneath the gigantic Titan of Bravos since Ned rarely posted pictures unless he was bothered by Lyanna or Ashara.

“Yes, Bravos was so amazing. The people, the culture, and the Titan of Bravos! I can’t describe the feeling you get when you stand beneath the giant Titan of Bravos. Oh Lya, you have to go to Bravos.” Ned said excitedly.

“I would love to go to Bravos. We can go together and you can take me to all your favorite places.” She offers. “I saw that you made new friends.” She had not missed the two guys in one of the group photos, one with handle @dseaworth and the other she couldn’t remember. She had tried to stalk them on Instagram like the nosy sister she was, but failed as unfortunately for her, their accounts were private.

“Yes, I met some good people here.” He answers. It appeared that Ned was not going to divulge anything further. _Fine_. She would press the matter some other day or try to stalk them on Facebook or some other social media.

“Ned please tell me you bought the Valyian steel dagger from Tobho Mott for Benji.”

“Which Valyrian steel dagger?” Ned asks with a confused expression on his face.

“Oh my god Ned! The Valyrian steel dagger about which Benji had been babbling nonstop ever since you told him that you are going to Essos. I’m am going to kill you” Lyanna gets worked up and yells.

Lyanna could see Ned going over to his desk and rummaging through it before he produced a glinting Valyrian steel dagger with a beautifully gilded gold handle, “You mean this?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh my god Ned! I’m so going to kill you.” She yelled as her elder brother continued laughing on the other side. She missed this, how they messed with each other, how he could make her mad and laugh at the same time, how he would always be her anchor in the difficult times. Gods, she really missed Ned.

“Don’t tell Benjen anything about this. I want to see his face.” Ned says with his grey eyes twinkling.

“I’m dying to see his face too when he sees this” Lyanna says in an excited voice. “You should call him, he misses you.”

“Yeah, this last week was a blur. Will call him. So, what’s up with you?”

“I’m good. Although things have been crazy here. Crazy.” She makes a hand gesture of crazy around her head and Ned laughs.

“I heard you’re dating Jaime Lannister now?” Ned asks with a worried expression and Lyanna’s smile vanishes.

“And from where exactly did you hear it?” Lyanna asks in an accusing tone although she already knows the answer.

“Just people.” Ned lies but it does not help anyone. Ned had always been bad at lying.

“Liar! We both know who feeds you these stories” she yells. “Omg Ned! Have you become a full-time spokesperson for Robert or are you just moonlighting?” For Ned the yelling continues.

“Look I’m just worried about you” Ned says and Lyanna can see the concern in his steel-grey eyes, exactly the same as hers.

“I’m not dating Jaime. He is…I think we are best friends now.” Lyanna confesses. She had never cared to label her friendship with Jaime, but now that she looked back, she was almost certain that they had become best friends.

“I thought Benjen was your best friend.” The worried expression still lingers on his face.

“He is. And he is always going to be. But I’m not going to lie, Ned, things have been crazy here the past month.” She takes a deep breath and continues. “First you left, then Robert cheated and we broke up and with the rest of the shitty things happening. There was one person who was beside me all the time through these shitty times holding my hand and that was Jaime. I’m not going to stop being friends with him just because his last name is an inconvenience to you.”

“I’m just worried about you Lya. You know how Lannisters are.” Ned said with his frowns deepening. On some level she understood Ned’s concern, Lannisters and Starks have always mistrusted each other but that was not going to stop her from being friends with Jaime or anything else for that matter.

“He is not like the rest of them” She said and internally hoped.

“I trust your judgement.” She could see the frown slowly disappearing from her brother’s face but the concern was still there in his eyes.

“Only you could say that. Father or Brandon would never trust my judgement.” And they both chuckle with her statement.

“That’s why I am your favorite brother.” Ned winks and they both laugh.

“Absolutely.”

* * *

“Why do you looked so pissed?” Alerie asked Lyanna as Jaime and Lyanna sat beside Alerie in the dining hall for lunch. Initially Ashara and Alerie had been surprised when Jaime started joining them for lunch and dinner at the dining hall, hanging out with them at the library steps and even turning up at the campus events they were attending. But over the last month as Jaime and Lyanna became increasingly inseparable, they happily accepted him as a part of their group.

“I’m drowning in school work. I have two papers due and I have a take-home test for sociology tomorrow. And Yandel hates us.” Lyanna groaned.

“He hates me more.” Jaime butts in.

“You guys were talking again?” Alerie inquires.

“No, texting.” Lyanna grumbles. “Guess who texts in a class with their phone inches away from their face?” she says with an exasperated look on her face and hands throwing up in the air.

“I do” Jaime butts in again and Lyanna narrows her eyes at him.

Ashara comes in and sits next to Lyanna. “What is that thing?” Jaime asks, his expressions curious as he points to a pancake layered with some navy blue coloured boba. 

“They were called Boba Pancakes” Ashara replies curiously eyeing them.

With all eyes curiously fixed on that pancake, Lyanna, Jaime and Alerie grab their forks as Ashara takes the first bite.

“It’s okay” she says but her face is so scrunched up that it tells a different story and Alerie quickly puts down the fork and they hear her say “I’ll pass.” For some reason Lyanna and Jaime still go ahead and taste the pancake.

“It’s edible.” Lyanna remarks while making a slightly weird face.

“Well if you guys are not going to eat it pass it to me” Jaime tells and they all give him bewildered looks.

“Richard Lonmouth has been staring nonstop in this direction for the last ten minutes.” Jaime points out in a swift attempt to change the subject and with all of them turning to look at him simultaneously, he finds himself successful.

“Well, he asked me out on a date earlier.” Ashara remarks.

“Wow” Alerie low key yells and Jaime looks at her like she has lost her mind. “Well you chose to sit with us, so.” She replies to Jaime and makes a face.

“Ashara, as soon as your back in the market, your brother’s friends are dying to sweep you off your feet.” Lyanna comments and she and Ashara share a smile. Maybe she is getting used to the idea of Ashara dating other people, Lyanna surmises. But the thought that there is a possibility that Ned and Ashara may not end up together unsettles her.

“So, you and Connie are done?” Lyanna hears Alerie’s voice puncturing through her thoughts.

“Not really. We had only gone on two, three dates and we never said we’ll be mutually exclusive.” Ashara replies uncertainly.

“That’s my girl.” Alerie roars and Jaime has an expression on his face where he is begging for mercy killing.

“That brings me to an important question, are you two a thing?” Alerie asks, looking straight at Jaime and Lyanna. 

Lyanna is sure that she is going to kill Alerie after this. Jaime just reacts with a carefully crafted ‘I don’t know what are you talking about’ expression.

“No we are just friends Aly.” Lyanna’s temper shots up.

“I’m only asking because if you are not dating him then maybe you can date someone else. I can set you up with someone” Alerie offers and then looks at Jaime and continues “And if you are interested, I can set you up with someone too.”

“No, thank you” Jaime says dryly.

“I’ll pass too. I am currently enjoying being single.” Lyanna confesses “I am in a happy place right now. And if my last relationship with Robert has taught me anything, I am not going to date someone just for the heck of it. This time when I’m going to date someone, or be in a relationship with someone it is going to be because I like them and they like me for exactly who I am.” And as she finishes, she finds Jaime looking intensely in her direction. What she misses is Alerie and Ashara exchanging glances.

“Fine, but as punishment we are not picking your dress for Open Arms benefit gala. You’re coming with us and we are also going to get our nails done.” Alerie says flashing an evil smile.

“Actually, I’m busy with Jaime that day.” Lyanna lies as she looks at Jaime but the lie does not fool anyone.

“Lie to me, and I will drag you with us.” Alerie threatens Jaime.

“I’m out of this.” Jaime quickly complies and throws his hands up in the air.

“Ugh, I hate you.” Lyanna groans as she places her head on the table. “You are coming to the benefit gala, aren’t you?” she asks Jaime her head still lying on the table.

“Yes, because I love my trust fund.” Jaime replies and Lyanna knows very well what that translates to, that he will be spending the entire time with his family.

As if Alerie and Ashara quickly understand and Alerie says “See, hon that’s why you need a date.”

* * *

Until now everything was going exactly like the previous gala sans Lyanna spilling drinks on someone’s jacket and getting humiliated. She had made a conscious decision today to stay away from red wine or any drink with a stain potential. She had also planned to find a secluded spot for herself, where she could safely lose herself in her train of thoughts without bumping into someone. As she looked around, she found everything to be the same. The same faces, the same smiles and the same lies only with different dresses, different food menus, and different venues. Just like last time, Alerie and Mace were networking, Ashara was off with Richard Lonmouth and it looked like Jaime was intently discussing something with Tyrion.

Lyanna took one last look around the hall and made her way to the balcony extra conscious of her movements so that she does not repeats history again.

She opened the door to the balcony and a cool breeze lightly brushed her face. Today was one of those days when the skies were perfectly clear with hundreds of stars illuminating the sky. She leaned on the broad rails of the balcony and with a deep breath she took in the beauty of the surrounding. It was on days like this when her heart ached most for Winterfell. She imagined herself lying in the grass in God’s Wood gazing at the stars, or camping with her brothers in Wolf’s Wood. As she turned sideways, she was startled to find Rhaegar Targaryen’s curious indigo eyes looking at her.

“I’m sorry I thought nobody would be here.” Lyanna said and as she turned to leave, she heard Rhaegar calling her out, “No, it’s okay, stay.”

“I guess you just want some quiet, so I won’t intrude I’ll find some other spot.” 

“No, it’s okay really. I mean stay if you want to, you won’t disturb me.” Rhaegar said earnestly. “Plus, the other two balconies are also occupied, in one balcony the Greyjoy’s are smoking pot and in the other, Tyget Lannister and his friends are smoking cigars. So, this is the best option you have.” Rhaegar said with a small, polite smile.

Lyanna looked around the huge balcony and saw that Rhaegar was right, she wouldn’t be in his way in this huge space. The balcony was so big that they could have easily thrown a dance party of ten people and there would still be plenty of space left. 

Seeing that Lyanna is staying back, Rhaegar gives her a small smile and he leans on the broad railings, vanishing into his thoughts. 

Lyanna soon followed suit. She let her thoughts consume her, thinking of anything and everything. But what she found surprising was how the thoughts of indigo eyes, silver hair, and Rhaegar Targayen kept creeping up on her. As soon as she realized she was thinking about him, she would immediately put those thoughts away, but that didn’t stop them from sneaking up on her.

“Do you need a refill?” Rhaegar asks pointing to his empty champagne glass. Lyanna looks at her empty champagne glass and she quickly agrees. Standing there, Lyanna finds it amusing that how some weeks ago she had thought this man to be an arrogant prick, and here he was being a perfect gentleman.

“There you go” Rhaegar says as he hands over, her champagne glass. “What?” Rhaegar asks as he hears Lyanna chuckling.

“Nothing, it’s just that you are turning out like Mr. Darcy” Lyanna says, amused with her comparison.

“Since I’m not being compared to the likes of Edward Rochester and Heathcliff, I guess it is safe to assume that my apology has been accepted” Rhaegar says with a teasing smile on his face.

“Hey! I love Heathcliff, he is not a villain, just an anti-hero.” Lyanna shots back as she pretends to be offended.

“Yes. But why do you like him?” He asks with a raised eyebrow “Bad boy effect?”

“No, I don’t have a thing for bad boys. I love him because he is so raw and real” she says thoughtfully. “The only thing he ever wanted was to love Cathy, and the society wouldn’t just let him be. And also, maybe because I have a thing for outcasts and underdogs.” 

“Given, how vehemently you are defending him, I take Wuthering Heights is your favorite book?” Rhaegar prods.

“Actually, No I love Wuthering Heights but my absolute favorite is Anna Karenina.” Lyanna confesses and she sees a look on Rhaegar’s face. She assumes that he is judging her and quickly gets defensive, “Yeah, go ahead and judge me, I am a sucker for doomed love what can I say.”

“Hey, I am not judging you” Rhaegar says playfully, his honesty reflecting in his indigo eyes but Lyanna does not wants to believe him. Neither does she wants to keep looking in those indigo eyes but she does both of them anyway. 

“You so are! So, what is your favorite book Mr. Judgy?’ Lyanna teases back.

“There are two, Hamlet and….” he looks uncertainly at Lyanna, “You are going to kill me for this.” He jokes.

“Okay. Now, you are making me curious.”

“Romeo and Juliet” he finishes with that uncertain look still on his face.

“So, you judge me, when you yourself are a sucker for Shakespearean tragedy and star-crossed lovers?” Rhaegar finds that he was right when Lyanna teases him mercilessly.

“Guilty as charged. And I never judged you.” He laughs.

The sound of Rhaegar’s laughter takes Lyanna by surprise, from what she had known and heard about the man she had always judged him to be a serious, tightly wound individual and a bit brooding perhaps. And yet here he was laughing with her at a silly conversation.

He turns to face the beautifully lit sky and Lyanna cannot decipher whether he is asking her or himself the question, “Do you think we love doomed lovers because we are masochists?” 

“I don’t know about you but I’m definitely not a masochist.” Lyanna scoffs and continues “I love them because nobody, not the society, not other people should be telling you, who you can or cannot be with. If two people love each and want to be with each then they should be able to do so. Period” Lyanna says passionately and at this point expects Rhaegar to disagree but instead, she finds him quoting Rumi “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”

She looks at him with a soft smile and they both quote together, the next line, “When the soul lies down on the grass, the world is too full to talk about.”

And before they know it, they stand there discussing, debating, and sharing their favorite verses of Shelley, Keats, and Byron. Everything about this night seems surreal to Lyanna. She notices how the full moon and the stars have drenched the balcony in soft light. She notices Rhaegar’s indigo bottomless eyes, his perfectly chiseled Greek god face, and his silver hair being illuminated in the moonlight. It all feels like a strange dream, as if any moment her alarm will go off and she will wake up and end up laughing at this in the morning. She would have gladly believed it to be a weird dream had it not been for the overwhelming feeling in the pit of her stomach. It feels as if she is drowning in this feeling yet she does not want to fight it, only surrender.

“Tender is the Night.” She hears Rhaegar’s voice almost a whisper, while he is gazing at the distant sky.

And suddenly before she can help herself, Lyanna finds herself quoting her favorite author, “I don’t ask you to love me always like this, but I ask you to remember. Somewhere inside of me there will always be the person I am tonight.” And as her words vanish into the night, she realizes that she actually means the last part. 

She doesn’t want Rhaegar Targaryen to love her, she knows he will never love her. But she wants him to remember tonight, and she wants him to remember that no matter what happens, she is always going to be the person she is tonight. 

Rhaegar turns to face her, and she finds his indigo eyes staring into her steel-grey eyes. For a moment it feels as if time has stopped, but then she hears the door opening and they both turn to look at the door.

Arthur walks in slowly and his face shows surprise momentarily, which he quickly masks by a polite smile. “There you are, I’ve been trying to find you all night.” He says looking at Rhaegar and then turns towards Lyanna to greet her “Hi Lyanna.”

Lyanna checks her phone and is stunned to find that they have been standing there for hours. There are a dozen texts and missed calls on her phone from Ashara, Jaime, and Alerie. 

Quickly she bids Arthur and Rhaegar, goodbye. “I have to go, it’s getting late.” She tells looking at both of them. “Arthur, is Ashara still there, or has she left?”

“I think she just left five minutes ago” Arthur answers with his usual friendly smile.

She nods and then turns to face Rhaegar for the last time tonight, “Thanks for your company.” Lyanna says with a big smile.

“The pleasure was all mine.” Rhaegar smiles back and she sees the smile reaching his eyes.

Lyanna finds the hall almost empty, as most of the guests have left.

_Great! As long as I don’t miss Aly._

She quickly goes through her text.

[Ashara] << Lya where are you?

[Alerie] << Lya, come out of hiding, please

[Jaime] << Wanna go out for fresh air?

[Alerie] << Lya, seriously where are you? You gotta hear this

[Ashara] << Lya ??

[Alerie] << Did you bail on us again, like last time?

[Alerie] << We’re leaving in 15 mins

[Alerie] << Ash and Richard are coming with us. Are you coming?

[Alerie] << Okay I guess you have left just let me know you’ve reached home safely.

 _Shit_ she curses herself mentally. Mace and Alerie were supposed to drop Lyanna off, but since she missed them, she would have to take a cab now.

She fidgets with her phone near the grand staircase of the building waiting for the cab to arrive. Lyanna expectedly looks out of the phone as she hears a vehicle stopping, but instead of a cab she finds a limousine. The rear window of the limousine is lowered revealing Rhaegar’s face.

“Are you waiting for someone?” he inquires.

“My cab.”

Rhaegar opens the door and gets out of the limousine, “If you don’t mind, I’ll drop you.” He offers.

“No, It’s fine. The cab is just two minutes away.” Lyanna replies looking at the app.

“Please I insist. I’ll sleep better knowing you reached home safely. For my peace of mind?” Rhaegar insists. Seeing Lyanna’s reluctance he quickly adds, “I bet the cab driver won’t be that interested in debating on Fitzgerald vs Hemmingway.”

“Fine, sold.” Lyanna finds herself reluctantly agreeing.

As Lyanna sits there debating with Rhaegar and looks at him smiling, she feels herself drowning in that familiar nameless feeling again. This time she fights, tries not to surrender. But the harder she fights it, the more she finds herself being pulled under.

Lyanna is lost in her thoughts gazing in Rhaegar’s eyes when his question suddenly catches her off guard. She blankly stares at him.

“What do you think?” Rhaegar asks with a curious look on his face. Whereas Lyanna, stunned by this abrupt interruption stills gawks at him awkwardly.

 _Earth to Lyanna? Earth to Lyanna?_ Her brain screams.

She quickly finds her escape as she spots her building from far “That’s my building to the left.” She tells the chauffeur.

Seeing her building fast approaching, Lyanna feels sad and relieved at the same time. Sad that this surreal evening is over, sad that her time with Rhaegar is truly up. And relieved because she doesn’t want to feel whatever she is feeling right now.

The car stops to a halt and Lyanna opens the door, she steals one last glance of Rhaegar while thanking him, “Thank you so much for the ride and the company.”

“Well, the pleasure was all mine” Rhaegar replies, his smile fading a little.

Like the gentleman he is, Rhaegar waits outside until Lyanna is safely inside the building. Whether she hears or imagines the Limousine pulling away she does not know but Lyanna never dares to look back. 

In the elevator her emotionally drained self tries to make sense of the entire night, but she finds herself too exhausted.

 _Fine. Later._ She thinks to herself as she enters her lonely penthouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, Rhaegar and Lyanna are not going to have a whirlwind affair. It's going to be a slow burn. But I wanted there to be fireworks at their proper first encounter.
> 
> Would love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> xoxo


	5. Get out of my head, pretty please

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyanna desperately tries to get Rhaegar out of her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.” - Leo Tolstoy
> 
> This song served as a big inspiration for this chapter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glEQdzjdwFE
> 
> Ages for reference:  
> Lyanna , Jaime, Cersei, Ashara:20  
> Ned, Robert, Richard Lonmouth :22  
> Rhaegar, Arthur: 26  
> Jon Connington: 25  
> Mace Tyrell :24  
> **will update as characters make their appearances
> 
> Robert, Ned, Lyanna and her friends are all undergrads  
> Rhaegar, Arthur and Jon are graduate students.  
> Rhaegar is a final year law student.

It had been over a week since the gala with Rhaegar, yet every detail of the night was seared in Lyanna’s memory as if it had happened just minutes ago. Since then she had often found her mind wandering off, thinking about Rhae/gar, his smile and his deep purple eyes. Whenever they appeared, she would push the thoughts back in some corner of her mind, only for them to haunt her sometime later.

That night after returning to the penthouse, Lyanna had panicked on realizing that she was giddy with happiness. To rectify the situation, she had even watched a gore slasher movie. And while that had got rid of those stupid feeling for the night, she realized she was in trouble when she woke up with a big smile on her face for no reason.

“Lyanna?” Jaime's voice snaps her out of her thought bubble. “You haven’t heard a word of what I’ve said, have you?” Jaime asks.

“No, I did.” She lies with fake confidence.

“Really?” He smirks. “What was I saying?”

They had been watching a borderline suicidal Meredith Grey almost getting blown to pieces by a bomb while still pining for her married lover. No wonder whyshe had been thinking of Rhaegar. Apparently, Meredith Grey was not the best role model for her right now.

“That we shouldn’t have watched Greys Anatomy.” She voices her own thoughts.

“No. What’s up with you? You’ve been zoning out a lot lately.” He asks with concern showing in his emerald eyes.

“Nothing.” Lyanna lies. “So, what were you saying?”

“That we should buy two pints of cookie dough next time,” He says as he points to one of the empty ice cream containers lying on the coffee table.

“And let’s not buy the one with coconut.” He says while throwing a dirty look at one of the half-empty containers.

Lyanna quickly grabs that ice cream and protests “Hey. Coconut seven layers is actually really good.”

“Whatever” Jaime rolls his eyes and looks at his phone displaying 2:30 AM. “Let’s call it a night?”

“Sure,” she says as she switches off the TV.

Lyanna is glad that they have an unwritten rule of Jaime staying over whenever it gets late, which happens all the time. In the starting days of their friendship they did the charade, where Jaime would talk about returning to his hotel, Lyanna would ask him to stay back and finally with some convincing he would agree.

Lyanna has been thinking about this for some time but she isn’t sure if it is a good time. _But then, there never is a good time,_ she tells herself.

“Jaime, I have a proposal.” Jaime stops in his tracks and gives Lyanna a curious look.

“Why don’t you move in with me? We could be roomies.” She asks

Seeing that Jaime has an uncertain look on his face she continues, “It’s not like you live in a real home. You fucking live in a hotel. You stay over most of the time, and let’s not forget my guestroom is littered with your stuff.”

“Yeah. But living in that hotel, and moving out of my house was supposed to be a temporary thing.” The uncertainty still not leaving his face.

“Who’s saying this has to be permanent? Anyways Ned is going to be back next semester. And it’s not like I’m going to make you a sign a lease or anything.”

Jaime bursts out laughing at that. “My father would die if he ever finds out that a Lannister has a Stark as his landlord.”

“Well then maybe I should get you a contract and you could send it over to your father’s office to get it looked at.” She offers and he grins.

“Should I take that as a yes?” She asks

“Come here, roomie.” He says as he hugs Lyanna and gives a soft peck at her cheeks smiling.

* * *

Standing in Jaime’s hotel room, some distant memories made Lyanna blush. 

She fidgets around as Jaime packs his last remaining possessions in his suitcase. “This is your bare minimum?” Lyanna stares at four large suitcases in front of her. 

“Shut up and just help me.” Jaime shoots back as he zips the last one of them.

Once the bags have been loaded in the car, Jaime quickly remarks “We need to make a quick stop at my house.”

Doubt washes over Lyanna’s face. “Now?” The last thing she wants is a run-in with Cersei.

“Yeah, I just need to grab some stuff. Don’t worry, Cersei won’t be home.” It was as if Jaime could clearly read Lyanna’s thoughts.

They see two scantily clad women almost the same age as them walking out of the private elevator of the Lannister penthouse.

While getting in the elevator Lyanna throws a curious look at Jaime to which he replies “Tyrion” and rolls his eyes.

As they step into the foyer, Lyanna sees how grand the place is. The foyer is almost as large as her living room with a crystal chandelier. The entire décor of the place is done in boudoir; everything is elegant and yet it screams that the owners are the wealthiest family in all of Westeros. 

They spot Tyrion walking towards them in a silk night robe looking slightly amused. Tyrion had inherited none of Jaime’s good looks, muscular build or height. If not for his golden locks people wouldn’t have identified Tyrion as a Lannister. He was barely five feet, had stern features with a broad nose, a big forehead and a teasing smile revealing teeth with gaps. Yet girls threw themselves at him. Apparently, if you were the youngest son of Tywin Lannister, they didn’t care about anything else. 

“Good Morning. What a pleasant surprise. What brings you back to this hell hole?” Tyrion says, giving them both a curious look. 

“Morning? Gods Tyrion. It’s two in the afternoon.” Jaime barks.

“I’m not sure if you saw the two lovely ladies leaving. But they stayed back last night, and they were so good I didn’t feel like getting out of bed. You know what I mean.” He winked at both of them.

At sixteen, Tyrion had earned himself the reputation of being the ‘Ultimate Party Boy’ outdoing even Oberyn Martell. He was known for throwing parties that had everything: strippers, booze, and drugs. Lyanna had never been to any of those ragers. But she had heard the stories. Anything that was outrageous or illegal would definitely be present there.

But that was not his only talent. Tyrion was extremely intelligent. Jaime had told her that he was a straight-A student, always acing any test given to him.

Throughout her academic life Lyanna had seen a fair share of nerds for whom a party with booze and drugs was synonymous to blasphemy, she had also seen party animals who had never opened a book voluntarily in their life. It seemed Tyrion was some weird combination of the two having the best of both worlds.

“I’m here to get some stuff. I’m going to stay at Lyanna’s place for a while.” Jaime says with guilt showing in his eyes.

“Good for you,” Tyrion says flashing a sarcastic smile.

“Just don’t piss her off and you’ll be fine,” Jaime tells him.

At which Tyrion scoffs. “You know even my breathing pisses her off.” He walks to the table and pours himself a big drink from the decanter.

“You just woke up and you’re going to start with Scotch?”

“Oh, don’t be so harsh Jaime. You don’t know what it is like to live with her under the same roof without you.” Tyrion takes a sip and continues “We’re playing a game these days. Who can piss off the other more. And as you can see from her absence I’m winning.”

Lyanna stands there looking uncertainly at the conversation between the brothers when Tyrion looks at her. “Jaime, I hope she knows how crazy and dysfunctional our family is.” 

He continues sipping his scotch. “I’ll leave you two then. They are making me take a mock SAT. It would be a shame if I turned up drunk and late and yet got a perfect score.” Tyrion leaves with an amused smile on his face.

Lyanna was low key excited to see Jaime’s room; she wanted to know more about him. Although he had told Lyanna about his childhood, his life in Casterly Rock, and his crazy relatives yet sometimes it felt like Jaime was guarding something from her.

Lyanna takes a look around Jaime’s room. It has a minimalistic aesthetic with few tasteful modern art paintings but it gives up nothing about Jaime’s personality.

“I’m sort of disappointed. I was expecting posters of bikini-clad models and Bon Jovi.” She jokes

“Well for that you are about five years late,” He says and disappears into his walk-in closet.

“So where are you hiding your porn stash?” She teases.

Jaime quickly reappears, “Lyanna, it’s the twenty-first century. No one looks at magazines anymore. Everything is online.”

This time she follows him into the walk-in closet and finds that he has more clothes and shoes than she does.

While Jaime keeps fumbling between some clothes and shoes, Lyanna goes back to his room. She sits on his bed and is surprised by how soft the mattress is. Bored, she lies down on the bed, hoping that this counts as acceptable behaviour. And even if not, Jaime is her best friend and nobody is here to judge her. She grabs a pillow and finds that it is extremely soft too. _Damn these Lannisters even have custom-made pillows and mattresses._

“Jaime you said ten minutes max. We’ve been here for over an hour.” She yells.

“I’m almost done. Just tell me which one of these is better and we are leaving.” He holds up two pairs of shoes in the air that look same to Lyanna.

She rolls her eyes “Jaime Lannister you are vain. They are both similar, pick either.”

“Lyanna Stark, you are blind.” He imitates her.

“Uhh, you’re worse than a girl. I’m already starting to regret my decision.” She teases.

“Take that back.”

“Or else what are you gonna do? Huh,” She further teases him.

“You are going to regret this.” And before she knows it, Jaime quickly grabs both her wrists in one hand, his face inches away from her. Jaime’s emerald eyes glinting with mischief and Lyanna wonders what he is going to do next.

But before her question can be answered, the door opens with a bang and they find an astonished Cersei staring at them. Jaime quickly releases Lyanna’s hand and steps away from the bed while Cersei stands there fuming.

“Ever heard of knocking,” Jaime smirks.

“What is she doing here?” Cersei asks indignantly.

“I needed to grab some stuff since I’m moving in with Lyanna.” The smirk never leaves Jaime’s face.

Cersei looks like a dragon ready to breathe fire at them. Lyanna throws Cersei a smug smile that only exacerbates her anger. She turns and leaves the room, slamming the door so hard that everything in the room shudders.

* * *

Standing there surrounded by aisles of books, Lyanna keeps staring at the two books in front of her. After internally debating with herself for the last ten minutes she finally picks Crime and Punishment. While leaving the aisle, her eyes fall on ‘Emily of New Moon’. She remembers vividly how she had kept bragging about it on learning that Rhaegar had never read it. She instinctively pulls out her phone, ready to text Rhaegar about it, only to remember she doesn’t have his phone number. 

They aren’t even friends, merely acquaintances who had once talked at a party. And here she is stupidly wanting to talk to him. While venturing into this section of the library, a tiny part of her had even hoped that she would find Rhaegar here, browsing through books.

But even this disappointment fails to deter her. She picks up ‘Emily of New Moon’ with renewed hope that if she crosses path with him, she will give the book to him.

Cursing herself internally for her foolish thoughts she shoves both the books in her backpack and slings it over her shoulder. 

Today the weather was beautiful, with clear blue skies. Most of the students around the campus were outdoors, lounging in the lawn or on the steps of the library. Lyanna spots her friends sitting over the steps, at their usual spot, and Jaime scoots over to make space for her as she joins them.

“We’re thinking of going to Joe’s for Bagels. Are you in?” Ashara asks.

“Of course,” Lyanna replies.

Enjoying the weather, she looks around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Rhaegar sitting by himself reading a book, or hanging out with Arthur and Jon. But instead what she sees surprises her beyond belief. Looking at Lyanna’s expression, Jaime follows her gaze, and he stares in disbelief too.

“Oh yes, that. I was going to warn you about them. “Alerie says.

Lyanna could see Robert making out passionately with a blonde who was without a doubt Cersei Lannister.

“Apparently they are dating now.” Alerie tries to gauge Lyanna’s reaction.

“You have got to be shitting me,” Lyanna exclaims.

“Lya, are you okay with this?” Ashara’s voice is laced with concern.

“Yes. I’m fine. More than fine, actually. Just surprised.” Lyanna voices her thoughts.

“We could move to some other spot if you want to avoid seeing them,” Mace offers while Jaime sits there sulking. There is a mixture of disbelief and subdued rage on his face.

“No, I’m fine. Seriously guys, chill. I’m happy for Robert. And honestly, this is better. At least now he won’t bother me anymore.” She gets interrupted by the sound of Jaime crunching the empty soda can more violently than necessary. 

“Seriously Lyanna, you are not bothered even a little that Robert is with Cersei now?” Alerie asks doubtfully.

“Yeah. I mean, it’s not a competition, who starts dating first. I’m glad he is moving on” Lyanna was not lying. More than anything she was surprised with, Cersei agreeing to date Robert. But apart from that, she did not harbour any ill will for them.

If anything, she just felt liberated. As if ‘the Robert chapter’ in her life was finally over. 

“Can we get gelato after Bagels?” Mace asks and everyone starts laughing at this abrupt change of topic. Well everyone except Jaime, who still sits there sulking.

“Bagels and gelatos. That is a weird combination,” Ashara says doubtfully.

“Fine, we’ll see. I’m feeling hungry already. Let’s go now.” Mace gets up and everyone except Jaime follows his lead. 

“Let’s get that bread.” Mace shouts brimming with excitement.

“No one says that anymore. That is so 2018.” Alerie scoffs. They turn to see that Jaime is still sitting there sulking with his Airpods on.

“What’s up with him?” Alerie asks Lyanna, to which she replies, “Not a fan of Robert.”

“You guys go ahead I’ll bring him with me,” Lyanna tells Alerie.

She had to admit that she found the sulking Jaime adorable. 

She tries to wave her hand to get his attention but he seems determined to ignore her. Playfully she removes one of his AirPods and puts it in her ear to find a grunge metal band playing.

“What?” Irritation mars Jaime’s face.

“Isn’t it too lovely a day to be sulking?” Jaime just looks at her half absent-mindedly. “I guess bagels from Joe’s will cheer you up.”

“You guys go ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.” He replies curtly.

“Okay, enough Drama Queen. Let’s go, they are waiting for us.” 

“I forgot; I have an appointment at the career centre. Will catch up with you guys after.” Jaime stands up and leaves, fully knowing that Lyanna can tell he is lying. She wonders for a moment whether to go after Jaime and confront him but later decides to give him space, for whatsoever reason he needs.

* * *

“Rhaegar!” Lyanna could hear the entire crowd cheering for him as he scored a goal, but it was one voice that was irritating her for no reason. The source of the voice was seated three seats down from her. Lyanna turned to look at the Dornish beauty Elia Martell with her olive skin and delicate features. 

She must have stared for a while, since Rhaella Targaryen turns to look at Lyanna with curious eyes and gives her a smile. Embarrassed, Lyanna smiles back, but what she really wants to do is dig a hole there and die. 

To distract herself she looks around to see Cersei whispering something in Robert’s ear, while he is laughing like a lovesick idiot. Ashara looks at them and rolls her eyes. “There is something definitely wrong there,” she says, and Lyanna agrees with her. It was unlike Cersei, who was so conscious of her social position, to indulge in PDA, especially at the Polo Club where everyone who matters is present.

“It looks like she is sending a message, but I wonder to whom and why?” Alerie joins in the conversation. “I thought I would never see her doing this with anyone other than Rhaegar, but guess I was wrong.”

At the mention of Rhaegar’s name Lyanna finds herself flustered again. She wonders why her ex-boyfriend dating the girl he had cheated on Lyanna with does not bother her but Rhaegar’s wife Elia cheering for him does. Someone she barely knows. 

There was definitely something wrong with her. 

_You are pathetic, Lyanna._

She instead decides to focus on Jaime’s game. But unfortunately for both of them, Jaime’s head was not in the game today. Chukker after chukker he keeps missing simple passes and opportunities for easy goals. And after every mistake, even though he tries to come back in the game aggressively the results remain the same.

And instead, the one person Lyanna is trying to avoid keeps popping up everywhere on the field. Rhaegar is having a terrific day today. Unlike Jaime, he is doing everything right, being present at the right place at the right time, giving passes that were essential, scoring goals. 

With that Lyanna felt beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was doomed.

After the match, Lyanna keeps fidgeting at their table in the polo club restaurant to see when the players will make their entry. But it is only one player that she is interested in. She finds herself a little disappointed when she sees Jaime and his teammate Albert Arryn entering. 

“Tough luck,” Lyanna tells them, as they both stop by their table.

“It happens to everyone, guys. You did your best.” Ashara consoles them.

“Please, I played like shit today.” Jaime grumbles “It was a nightmare.”

“Don’t worry, you will win the next match.” Lyanna’s trying to cheer him up.

“Gods, as if the match was not torture enough. Now I have to go and sit with them.” Jaime tosses a dismayed look at the table where his family is sitting with Robert Baratheon. Jaime slowly walks to that table like a person sentenced walks towards his executioner. 

Lyanna looks at the table where Elia is happily chatting with Rhaella and she can feel her resentment rearing its ugly head again. Lyanna firmly decides to not think about Rhaegar or anyone remotely associated with him. But at that moment she sees Arthur and Rhaegar walking towards their table, greeting them, and all her previous feelings go down the drain.

“Congratulations. You were amazing, as always.” Ashara tells her brother and his best friend.

“Congratulations, you two.” Lyanna wishes them. “Rhaegar, you were on fire today.”

Rhaegar modestly denies it. “No, it was just my lucky day.” And as he looks into her grey eyes and smiles, Lyanna finds herself smiling from ear to ear.

“You guys were awesome.” Alerie joins them in congratulating the duo. 

And while they sit there making small talk, all Lyanna wants to do is to rip Rhaegar away from there and talk, just talk for real. Talk like that night at the gala. Know more about this person who would just not get out of her head. Not engage in these meaningless social frivolities which reveals nothing. But instead, they continue making small talk for some time before leaving.

Lyanna sees Rhaegar being welcomed at his table by a quick peck on his cheeks by a smiling Elia. And she suddenly feels a sharp pang of jealousy. 

She looks at her favourite distraction for the day, the Lannister table, and thanks the gods for them. At least the best thing out of Robert and Cersei dating was that she could keep herself amused for a while without thinking about Rhaegar.

Lyanna watches Cersei and Robert continue to act like fifteen-year-olds in love for the first time. Tywin Lannister is sitting there with his usual grim look, Tyrion looks amused at his sister’s behaviour and Jaime looks like he is going to choke any minute.

Ashara catches her looking at the Lannister table, “It’s bothering you isn’t it?”

“No,” Lyanna says, but Ashara and Alerie refuse to believe her.

“Don’t worry hon, they are not going to last long. Knowing Robert he is going to cheat sooner or later and then Cersei will unceremoniously dump him. I would give them a month or two tops.” Alerie smirks.

Lyanna wonders what is wrong with her. She feels nothing other than amusement looking at Robert fawning over Cersei. Her friends are right. She should be bothered, and maybe should even feel betrayed a little. But instead, she feels just nothing, whereas looking at Rhaegar’s table stirs a whole range of emotions in her.

Realizing how pathetic she has become she stabs the crepe with a fork with more force than necessary. 

It had been a few hours since the polo match, but the feeling of pettiness and self-loathing had not yet washed over. Lyanna had tried watching TV, even cleaning her room to distract herself, but it failed to yield the desired result. And Jaime being locked up in his room sulking had not helped either.

_This needs to be remedied,_ Lyanna thought to herself. She decided she will no longer let herself wallow in self-pity. And for what, for someone she did not even properly know. Someone who was married. Someone who was unattainable. This was going to stop.

Jaime was coming downstairs as she was setting one bottle of Tequila on the table.

“Is there a party happening that I don’t know about?” Jaime asks.

“No, all that is for me,” Lyanna tells him nonchalantly.

“Are you trying to drink yourself to death?”

“No more like drink myself to numbness” She winks at him.

“You are crazy Lyanna. Mind if I join you?” 

“You have to ask?”

“You take the job of being a bartender seriously.” Lyanna laughs as she picks up the shot glasses neatly rimmed with salt. There was a handful of cut lime being kept nearby.

“Partying is serious business. And now the music.” Jaime streams his playlist and starts grooving to the EDM blaring through the sound system.

Lyanna laughs at Jaime busting weird moves and joins him. She takes a break from the dancing to down a shot. Seeing that Jaime is too busy dancing she takes another one before she gets caught.

“Cheater” He calls her out “We are supposed to do that together.”

“Sorry, sorry.” They both down a few shots before returning to their makeshift dance floor.

At this point, Lyanna has lost count of how many shots they have had or how long they have been dancing. All she knows is that no matter how much her head feels dizzy she has not had this much fun in a very long time.

They both decide to headbang and Lyanna’s hair whips Jaime’s face. He winces and she laughs. She playfully gets close to him and tries to whip her hair in his face again. He tries to move quickly with Lyanna trying to hold on to him and instead ends up head butting him.

“Ow,” Jaime groans.

“Shit, I’m so sorry.”

“Fuck Lyanna, you almost got my eye,” he grumbles with a hand over his head.

“Wait, let me get you some ice.”

A drunk Lyanna slowly makes her way to the kitchen. Opening the freezer, she stands there for a full minute before remembering why she is there. She gets the ice pack and hands it over to Jaime, who is now sitting on the couch. 

With her head a little bit dizzy, she lies down on the couch, her head inches away from Jaime’s lap and watches an inverted Jaime putting the ice pack on his head. Looking at the overhead lights blurring, Lyanna says out loud the thoughts that had been bothering her since morning, “I am pathetic, you know. I want things, I cannot have. Stupid me.”

“At least that is still better. I cannot have, the things I want. It's like the universe has cursed me.” Jaime muses.

“Thank you, Jaime, for being there for me. With Ned gone, I would have gone crazy if I was alone here.” At this point, her brain is pumping out thoughts without a filter.

“Sorry to break it to you, but you are already crazy.” He smiles and lightly touches her hand.

“Oww, your hands are cold.” She jerks away from his hands. This only spurs Jaime to playfully place his cold hands on her cheeks. She finds a pair of emerald green eyes looking at her grey eyes. But what startles her is that the look on his face reminds her of some distant night, once upon a time in a bar.

And before she knows it, she finds his lips on hers. She can taste the tequila on his tongue, and feel his warm breath on her face.

The kiss quickly deepens with her fingers coiling around Jaime’s blonde hair. Soon Jaime’s hands find their way inside her t-shirt, palming her breasts. She pulls away a little gasping for air while Jaime fumbles with the hook of her bra. Lyanna laughs and pulls him back in a passionate kiss. He finally manages to unhook her bra but she keeps him busy with her tongue making him moan in her mouth. Lyanna becomes aware of the growing bulge in Jaime’s pants and how he is slowly grinding into her.

And suddenly it hits her, that he is no longer a stranger in a bar. He is her best friend.

She quickly jerks her face away, ending the kiss and leaving Jaime confused.

“What happened? Did I hurt you?”

Lyanna slowly sits upright, increasing the distance between them.

“No, you didn’t. But we can’t do this.” She pauses for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts. Her head still feels dizzy but the high that she was feeling earlier has now vanished. “Don’t get me wrong. I want you. I do. But right now, my life is really shitty and complicated and I don’t want us to be complicated.” 

She continues. “You are my best friend Jaime, and I can’t mess up what we have. I won’t at any cost.”

“You’re probably right. This was a stupid idea.” He says with a sad smile on his face.

“So we’re cool?” She asks uncertainly.

“Yeah. We’re cool. Water under the bridge.” He smiles but it does not reach his eyes. “Let’s call it a night, hmm?” 

“Good night roomie.” She watches a drunk Jaime slowly making his way to his room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, I'm really sorry about the late update. I had papers due and finals, also I was really unsure about this chapter the whole time, whether to keep it or scrap it altogether. But in the end I decided to just post it. 
> 
> Secondly, I'm sorry about the whiny Lyanna. I did not enjoy writing her to be honest. But in this story she is in this headspace where she knows she feels something for Rhaegar but can't place a finger on that feeling. Also she knows that it is not the wisest thing to like someone who is married and hence the conflict.
> 
> Thirdly, I'm sorry about the minimum interaction with Rhaegar in this chapter.
> 
> I promise whiny Lyanna is going to go and no more of barely there interactions between Rhaegar and Lyanna from the next chapter.
> 
> Tyrion in my mind is similar to Chuck Bass just a lot smarter. I'm planning to explore the Lannister family dynamics, a few chapters down the line.
> 
> Would really appreciate your feedback on anything and everything (otherwise it just feels like me rambling in the voids of internet)
> 
> xoxo


	6. Love in times of Shakespeare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This song served as a big inspiration for this chapter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1RPiyOPg10
> 
> A shoutout to the lovely @Whovianbi___girl for being my beta
> 
> Ages for reference:  
> Lyanna , Jaime, Cersei, Ashara:20  
> Ned, Robert:22  
> Rhaegar, Aurthur: 26  
> Jon Connington: 25  
> Mace Tyrell :24  
> Elbert Arryn :21  
> **will update as characters make their appearances

Lyanna looks around and is not surprised to find that only some members of the Crownlands Art Conservation Society are present.

“First of all, we are pleased to announce that the Crownlands Art Conservation Society will be working with King’s College Theatre Collaborative to bring the hottest play of the year -Romeo and Juliet. The prestigious fraternity of St A’s will also be joining us in this endeavour.” Jocelyn Swyft, the president continues with a big smile. “Not only this but we have managed to snag the prodigious Director Hugo Vance who is also an alum of King’s College. And our very own member Rhaegar Targaryen has volunteered for the music despite his busy schedule,” she says beaming with pride while looking towards both of them.

The fellow members clap, while they both give modest smiles. “Some of our members are also students at King’s College and I’m expecting maximum participation from them,” Jocelyn says looking at Lyanna and two-three other students.

Once the meeting is done and the refreshments are served, she makes her way to the corner where Rhaegar is chatting with some other member. Rhaegar excuses himself and greets her with a smile. “I have a feeling that you convinced them to do Romeo and Juliet,” Lyanna says with a teasing smile.

“I might have given them a lucrative offer of composing the music for the play if they decided to do Romeo and Juliet.” he smiles sheepishly. “You’re going to audition for Juliet?”

“Nah.”

“Why you’ll make a good Juliet.”

“I don’t have a penchant for theatrics. I’m more comfortable off stage. Plus, Jocelyn has already made me set and stage director. So, I guess I’m all set.”

“It’ll be fun working on the play,” he says.

“Yes, I guess.” Lyanna muses.

* * *

Alerie joins Lyanna, Ashara and Jaime in the dining hall and occupies a seat opposite Ashara. “Oh my god. Getting the hot-shot director Hugo Vance to direct and Rhaegar Targaryen to compose music for your play. No wonder the entire campus is going gaga over it.” Alerie says.

“You’re in a play?” Jaime asks, surprised.

“No, It’s not my play. I’m just a member of the society organizing it,” Lyanna replies.

“What society?” he asks. 

“Crownlands Art Conservation Society,” Ashara tells him to which Jaime replies “Doesn’t ring a bell.”

“That’s a shame because your father is one of the biggest patrons. He sends a hefty cheque every month but never actually shows up for the meetings,” Lyanna tells him.

“Yeah, that sounds like him,” Jaime says dryly.

“You guys are going to audition?” Lyanna asks them.

“I’m not sure,” Ashara replies.

“Why? It’ll be fun. I’m totally in the mood for trying out for some roles,” Alerie says in an excited voice. “I heard that Cersei is vying for Juliet’s role.”

“Yes, a lead role in a play by a famous director, that is the buzz of the town and she gets to spend time with Rhaegar Targaryen, that seems like a win-win for her,” Jaime says nonchalantly.

“That makes me even less inclined to audition,” Ashara tells them.

“You’ll make a beautiful purple-eyed Juliet.” Lyanna cheers her on.

“And if that spites Cersei it’s an added bonus. Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure the director will see you, fall in love with you instantly and cast you as Juliet,” Alerie says to which Ashara rolls her eyes.

“Which reminds me since I’m in charge of set, I’ve signed all of you up as volunteers to help me with the set.” Lyanna gives them a malicious smile as they collectively groan.

* * *

Lyanna watches as Cersei delivers Juliet’s lines with ease. She had to admit Cersei was a natural. Although Juliet’s innocence was missing from Cersei’s acting. She watches Ashara rehearsing her lines as Lady Capulet. 

“Jaime bailed, huh?” Alerie asks as they paint the moon.

“No, he asked me to text him once Cersei leaves,” Lyanna replies.

“The feud is still going on I see,” Alerie scoffs and then continues “Not so long-ago Jaime followed her around like a lost puppy and now they can’t even stand to be in the same room. What happened between them?”

“I have no idea,” Lyanna admits.

Being Jaime’s best friend, she knew almost everything about him. Almost. But there were things that Jaime never talked about, like the girl he had called the love of his life that day in the bar or what happened between him and Cersei.

Lyanna sees Cersei eyeing Rhaegar as he is sitting on the piano brooding. For a moment even she is tempted to do the same but instead continues painting the giant ass moon.

“You know Elbert Arryn is interested in you,” Alerie coos.

“Aly from where do you get these crazy ideas in your head?” Lyanna asks as she follows Alerie’s gaze to Elbert who is looking at them.

“He asked Mace if you were single,” Alerie continues with a teasing smile. “If he asks you out, just say yes.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because I want you to be happy and have a life.”

“I am happy and I have a life.”

“Yes, that’s why you paint stuff in your free time,” Alerie says pointedly and Lyanna finds herself at a loss for words.

* * *

After their long study session at the library, Lyanna wonders whether she should ask if Alerie and Ashara will help her out with the sets. But, looking at their exhausted faces Lyanna decides against it. She is still buzzed from that giant cup of coffee she had, and heads towards the auditorium. Instead of finding an empty auditorium, she is surprised to see Rhaegar Targaryen on the piano bending over the music sheets. On hearing her footsteps, he looks up at her.

“What are you doing here this late?” he asks her.

“I thought I’d work on the set in some peace. I could ask the same to you,” she says.

“Well, I was reworking music for one of the scenes.” he squints at one of his sheets. “It’s for the balcony scene.”

“Act 2 Scene 2” Lyanna blurts out. “That’s my favourite scene.” she smiles.

“Mine too. The first time Romeo and Juliet declare their love for each other,” Rhaegar muses. “I just felt the music was failing to capture the essence of the scene."

“Tell me how does this sound?” He scoots a little to his left, making place for her on the bench, Lyanna sits beside him hesitantly, her heart beating a little loudly for no apparent reason.

His long fingers glide over the keys elegantly producing a melody that is beautiful yet melancholic. As he plays the piano, she can feel Romeo’s anticipation, the pair’s love and desperation, and the hopes and dreams of young naïve love. The notes, along with Lyanna’s feeling reach a crescendo, and then slowly fade. She finds an unwanted tear rolling down her cheek.

She quickly tries to wipe the tear away but the amused expression on Rhaegar’s face tells her that her efforts have gone in vain. “Was that a tear?” Rhaegar teases her.

“No. Something went in my eye,” she says defiantly. Lyanna looks around hoping to find some liquid to pour on Rhaegar’s head but unfortunately doesn’t find any. “It was beautiful Rhaegar,” she confesses. “It truly was. What are you doing here? You should be out there making music, creating beautiful pieces like this and making people cry.”

“Are you admitting to crying?” he chuckles.

“No,” she protests vehemently. “If I was even half as talented as you, I would have gone to a music school.”

“Well, we all can’t have what we want,” he says as if consoling himself. Lyanna looks at his indigo eyes, and the truth of the statement hits her but refusing to break character, she says, “I refuse to believe that.”

Rhaegar follows her to the half-painted moon. “Let me help you out. Four hands are faster than two,” he says.

“You don’t need to do this.”

“Yes, but I want to,” he says softly.

She observes Rhaegar painting the moon with the utmost concentration looking like a blonde _Michelangelo._ As his fingers elegantly paint the curve of the moon, she looks at him and wonders, how can someone possibly be this perfect. “What?” he asks her.

“Are you even human?” she blurts out, and he softly chuckles at that.

“Seriously, how do you manage to do all this? I mean you’re a 3L student, you’ll be taking the bar in less than a year, you’re married with kids. Yet, you show up at all the fundraisers and your father’s campaign, volunteer to compose music for the play and even paint a moon for a rando.”

“I thought we were friends,” he cuts in.

 _Friends,_ Lyanna repeats in her mind. She remembers how barely a few weeks ago she had been craving for a mere interaction with him and here he was calling her a friend.

She is moved by his sincerity and dedication to his work. He could have simply handed over a few sheets of music to the Crownlands Art Conservation Society and nobody would have batted an eyelid. Yet, here he was, spending his free time trying to perfect his music.

“I bet you do everything perfectly. Always being a perfect student, teacher, son, father,” she pauses for a brief moment and then says “Husband.”

“I’m anything but a perfect husband. As for the rest, I strive to be a good son and a father but mostly it feels like I’m continuously failing,” he says in a low voice as if talking to himself.

* * *

Lyanna had started frequenting the auditorium alone lately. Working on the set alone was turning out to be therapeutic. She found that she was far more productive when not surrounded by the chaos of the rehearsals.

While working on Juliet’s tomb, she hears the auditorium door opening and turns to find Rhaegar getting up on the stage.

“I had a feeling I’d find you here,” he says with a warm smile.

“What are you doing here?” she asks.

“I forgot these sheets after the rehearsal. Came back to get them. What are you working on?”

“Painting Juliet’s tomb.”

“Let me give you a hand with those,” he says and looks expectantly at Lyanna. “No objections this time?” he teases her.

“No point in objecting when it falls on deaf ears,” she teases back.

Rhaegar tries to get a clean brush but fails to find one. As he picks up a brush, he finds that the paint has dried on the brush completely hardening it.

Lyanna inspects the brush and curses, “Fuck. I forgot to clean the brush, and now they are rock hard. It’s like they are on Viagra or something.” Rhaegar bursts out laughing at that, and she is simply stunned by the sound of his laughter. She has never seen him laughing and in that moment his face, his eyes, his laugh everything mesmerizes her.

“You look very handsome when you laugh. You should do it often,” she babbles, and realizes she had been doing this more often lately, especially near Rhaegar. He smiles at her, and proceeds to clean one of the brushes.

“You know, if you really want to help me, you can simply tell people that you volunteer with the set building during your free time, and help me with the set once or twice during rehearsals. I’m pretty sure the turnout of the volunteers will increase by two hundred percent minimum.” To which Rhaegar rolls his eyes.

“I’m not kidding. You don’t really think that all those girls turned up for the audition because they were interested in the play. They just came because they wanted a chance to be near the handsome Rhaegar Targaryen,” Lyanna teases.

“Yeah, right,” Rhaegar scoffs.

“You’re like a walking talking thirst trap, my friend.” She wonders if he is being modest, or is really unaware of the effect he has on other people. “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed how our lead actress looks at you,” she further teases him.

“You’re crazy,” he tells her.

“That’s what they tell me.” and they both end up laughing. But they are interrupted when the auditorium door opens with Jaime coming out from the shadows.

“Ashara told me I’d find you here,” he says as he gives Rhaegar a suspicious look.

“Yes. Rhaegar here was helping me with the set. Let me get you a brush.” Lyanna says. She senses an awkward tension in the air, and tries to diffuse it with a few jokes, but fails to do so with a frowning Jaime and stoic Rhaegar. After a few more awkward minutes Rhaegar gets up, “I just remembered I had few errands to run. See you later,” he says and leaves.

Over the course of the next few days, Lyanna finds the number of people turning up to help with the set growing, steadily. She knows that this definitely has something to do with Rhaegar. She looks in his direction, and finds him smiling at her, her heart almost skipping a beat.

“Elbert Arryn had been staring in this direction for the last five minutes and now he is walking towards us,” Ashara tells them.

“I’m pretty sure he is going to ask Lyanna out today,” Alerie declares with a triumphant smile.

“What? Elbert? No, he isn’t,” Jaime dismisses their words.

Alerie makes a face at him and says, “He is. Wanna bet?”

“You’re on,” Jaime replies, without a hint of doubt in his voice. Lyanna hushes them as she sees Elbert approaching them.

“Hi, Lyanna. Hi guys.” Elbert greets them. Ashara signals Jaime and Alerie to move away from there and to give them some privacy, to which Alerie quickly complies but Jaime simply stands there gawking at both of them.

“Umm, I was thinking... Umm nice work on the set there,” Elbert’s face screams that he is unsure of what to say next.

“Thanks.”

“Umm Lyanna I was thinking, would you go out with me this weekend,” he finally manages to say.

“Right now, all my weekends, in fact all of my free time is being spent here. But once the play is over maybe then we can go out,” she says. As soon as Elbert leaves, she gets surrounded by her friends.

“What was that?” Alerie asks.

‘Yes, what the hell was that?” Jaime joins in. Lyanna looks at them confused by their reaction.

“Why did you say no to him?” Alerie demands.

“What, No!” Jaime interrupts “Why did you say yes to him.” Lyanna facepalms.

“I agree with Alerie here,” Ashara jumps in the conversation. “Lyanna you should’ve said yes. I mean Elbert is a good guy and he clearly likes you.”

“Not to mention the fact that he is the heir of Jon Arryn, the media magnate. And also, your father’s old friend,” Alerie says.

“Yes, remember how it turned out last time when she dated her brother’s best friend?” Jaime smirks.

“Okay. Guys calm down. I’ve not said outright no to him,” she tells looking at Alerie, “Neither have I said yes to him,” she says turning towards Jaime. “I’m sure Elbert is a great guy. It’s just that.. I’m not sure if I want to date him or anyone else for that matter. And honestly, I don’t have the time right now with the play going on. Once this is over I’ll figure out what I want and say yes or no accordingly. Okay?”

Ashara and Alerie nod, whereas Jaime simply ignores them and goes back to painting. She looks in the direction of Rhaegar, and sees a ghost of a smile on his face as if he has heard the entire conversation. Irritated, Lyanna goes towards him.

But looking in those indigo eyes, she forgets her irritation. “See, I was right. Not even half of this lot, ever showed their face before this week.”

He simply chuckles, “I even signed up my friends as volunteers.” She looks at his friends Arthur, Jon, Richard Lonmouth and Myles Mooton whom he brought along. And from the looks on Jon’s face some of them begrudgingly.

“And I will be eternally grateful to you for that,” she says with a playful smile..

“Looks like I’m not the only one bringing in the crowds. I can see some boys showed up just to ask you out on a date,” he teases her. Lyanna opens her mouth to hit back at him but ends up saying “Go to hell.” Rhaegar laughs loudly at that, attracting curious glances from his friends who are there nearby. Some of them look like they haven’t seen Rhaegar laughing before.

* * *

Lyanna was proud of the progress she had made over the week. Juliet’s balcony and the supporting structure for the vines had been installed. And she and Jaime had spent the last one hour in the deserted auditorium, adorning the vines on the balcony. 

“Tell me why can’t you hire someone to build the set for you?”

“Because a) we are trying to raise money, not spend it. We couldn’t find anyone who would do it pro bono for us. And b) I’ll come off as an entitled bitch if I hire someone else to do what I was given, when everyone else is doing their part on their own.”

“Now, climb down and tell me how does it look from there?’ Lyanna tells Jaime. He groans but complies anyway.

“It looks good,” he smiles.

“I still can’t get a feel of the set. Let’s enact a scene and see if anything needs to be changed,” Lyanna says

“The things I do for you Lya.”

Jaime flips through the script and reads his lines, “O, speak again, bright angel, for thou art. What the fuck, who talks like this?”

“Shut up and just read Jaime.”

“As glorious to this night, being o’er my head, As is a wingèd messenger….. I’m pretty sure they never spoke like this.”

“You know what, I’ll go first,” she tries to do her best impression of Juliet. “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” she can see a teasing smile appearing on Jaime’s face but she ignores that and continues. “Deny thy father and refuse thy name,” Jaime starts laughing at this and she can feel the laughter bubbling in her stomach. She tries hard not to break character, “Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn….” Jaime starts laughing hysterically at this point and she ends up bursting into laughter.

“You know the only thing missing is the music,” Jaime says as he runs to the piano and does a very poor imitation of Rhaegar.

“Jaime stop, you’re killing me,” her voice echoes in the empty auditorium. The light from the auditorium door opening, catches her attention and she sees a silver-haired person walking out.

“Fuck,” she curses and quickly climbs down from the balcony. “Do you think Rhaegar saw us? Do you think he thinks that we were making fun of him?”

“We were making fun of him Lya.”

“I wasn’t. You were making fun of him,” Lyanna angrily protests.

“And you were laughing. I’m pretty sure that counts as making fun.”

“Shit,” she curses as she runs out, trying to find Rhaegar. Fortunately for her, Rhaegar’s silver hair makes it easy for her to spot him.

“Hey, wait,” she shouts after him, half scared that he will ignore her. He stops and turns to look at her but instead of her friend Rhaegar, the stranger she had bumped into at a gala a long time ago looks back at her. “Yes,” he says, his voice laced with politeness but devoid of any acknowledgement of their friendship.

“I’m really sorry about that. It was not what it looked like,” she hesitates and then continues. “We were not making fun of you.”

“No, you were making fun of my work.” It feels as if the iron tones of Rhaegar’s voice are choking Lyanna.

“I’m sorry but in our defence, it was a harmless joke done spontaneously. I’m pretty sure you’ve done some things in the spur of the moment only to realise later that they were wrong,” she looks at him and hopes that he’ll smile and she will be forgiven. But instead he says, “No”.

“You haven’t done anything spontaneously that might be wrong?” she asks.

“No.” he answers with a hint of irritation in his voice.

She scoffs, “No wonder you don’t understand it. It was just a harmless spontaneous joke.”

“So, let me get this straight, it’s my fault that I’m not spontaneous which is why I can’t understand how funny it was to make fun of me?” his every word hits Lyanna like a nail. Before she can say something, he walks away.

Flustered she runs after him and follows him out of the building. “Rhaegar, wait,” she calls after him. He stops but doesn’t turn to look at her. “I’m sorry. Really. Let me rephrase it, what we did was..” she says choosing each word carefully. “Insensitive and rude but please understand it was also unintentional. It seemed funny at the time but in retrospect, I see that it was wrong and I’m sorry.” She waits for him to say something, but his silence leaves her on edge. “Am I forgiven or should I ramble more?” she says uncertainly.

A small smile spreads on Rhaegar’s face and the mask of the stranger that he had been wearing for the past few minutes wears off. “Yes,” he says.

“Now that we’re friends again, I have to ask. You’ve really never done anything in the heat of the moment, that might be wrong?”

“No.”

“So, you’re telling me that you always do things because someone expects you to do it or because it is the right thing to do?” she asks with a surprised look on her face.

“Yes.” Lyanna blinks.

“Are you a robot or a human being?”

“Pretty sure I’m a human being,” he chuckles.

“Yeah, we’ll see. You know sometimes breaking rules can be fun. Liberating even. You need to do that.”

“Okay,” Rhaegar says uncertainly and suddenly an idea strikes her.

“You know what, someone needs to teach you how to have fun. And you’re in luck because I’m here. This,” she says circling the air around Rhaegar’s melancholic face “is changing starting today. But the question is where do we start?” she thinks loudly.

“Ever got a ticket?” she asks.

“No.”

“Flunked a class?”

“Nope”

“You’re boring as hell,” she says as she rolls her eyes. “But that’s changing from now. You won’t be able to recognize yourself when I’m done with you,” she says smiling to herself.

“Okay, now I’m scared of what you’ve planned for me,” he says apprehensively.

“Don’t worry. Baby steps. Just wrap up whatever you have on your hands right now and meet me for dinner in the dining hall.”

“Aye Aye captain,” Rhaegar says with an amused smile.

“Meanwhile I’ll go and do the same,” she says thinking of Jaime who she’d left in the auditorium. “And if you don’t show up, I’ll kill you. Bye.”

Lyanna enters the dining hall and spots Rhaegar sitting in a corner alone. She is thankful that none of their friends live on campus, so the chances of anyone seeing them at this time is pretty bleak. The last thing she wants is her friends poking their noses into her friendship with Rhaegar. For some reason, she doesn’t want to share their friendship with anyone else. It almost feels like a secret, their secret.

“I almost thought you were going to bail on me,” Lyanna teases Rhaegar as she sits opposite him.

“I was thinking of running away. But then I remembered the threat that was made on my life,” he teases back with mirth in his eyes. “So, what are we doing today?”

“Ever sneaked food out from the dining hall?” she asks.

“No.”

“I thought so. We’re sneaking out this lovely cupcake.”

“Wait why would we do that? We can simply buy this from outside,” he says to which Lyanna tsks.

“Because it is fun. It will make your heart go faster. And also, any food tastes a hundred times better when it has been sneaked out of the dining hall.”

“What if we get caught?” he says doubtfully.

“Well, you won’t. Just follow my lead.” She picks up two frosted cupcakes and gets up to leave. Rhaegar follows her but shifts around uncomfortably. “Just act normal. No one will suspect a thing,” she mutters under her breath. As soon as they exit the dining hall, they both burst out laughing. She wonders if the world knows this Rhaegar or do they just see him as the charming but brooding Rhaegar as she had once thought him to be. “See, told you it’ll be fun” Lyanna winks.

“Yes.” Rhaegar smiles.

“Now, all we need is a good spot to enjoy these cupcakes.”

They sit at the giant steps of the Library built in the neoclassical style. There are some rainbow lights in the distance from some campus event. She can see the stars illuminating the sky. It almost reminds Lyanna of the night at the gala. “It actually tastes better outside,” Rhaegar confesses as he bites one of the cupcakes..

“If I could get a dime every time, I said ‘Told you’,” she says with a smug smile. “I know you’re always trying to do the right thing. But once in a while you gotta do things because you want to do it.”

“Umm-hmm,” he muses.

“Just get off that moral high horse sometimes and do things just for the heck of it,” she leans back on her elbows, looks at the stars and says softly “Live in the moment.”

“And what about the consequences?” he asks looking in her steel-grey eyes.

“I say damn the consequences,” she replies, peering back in his bottomless indigo eyes.

* * *

When the curtains drop, and the audience erupts in applause, Lyanna feels like a proud mother. After all the play had been her baby for the last month. From backstage, she can see some of the audience members sniffling. She is pretty sure if this was the first time, she was hearing the music, then she would have been one of them, trying to hide her tears. 

Instinctively, she looks at Rhaegar and finds him looking back smiling as if he can read her mind. She is brought back to reality from her blissful thoughts as Ashara tugs on her hand. Ashara had already changed into the costume of Desdemona for St. A’s Shakespearean party happening later that night.

“Lya, go change quickly before the changing rooms get hogged,” Ashara tells her. Lyanna nods and thankfully they find an empty changing room. She quickly slips into her costume of Hermia. It’s a beautiful lilac off shoulder tulle gown with a bustier bodice. She is glad that she isn't dressing up and going as Lady Macbeth or someone else in a poofy Elizabethan era costume.

“You guys are not yet ready?” Alerie exclaims as she bursts into the room dressed as Portia while Ashara works on a small side braid that frames Lyanna's long pale face.

“Almost done,” Ashara says as she finishes and cups Lyanna’s face to see her finished work from different angles. “Perfect” she comments. “You look lovely Lya.”

Lyanna looks at her reflection in the mirror and sees a bohemian princess staring back at her. “I don’t know what I would do without you Ashara .” Ashara hugs her from behind and they both smile looking at their reflection in the mirror. “Wait for me!” Alerie exclaims as she joins the group hug all smiles.

St. A’s hall had been transformed into a grand court from medieval ages. The hall was illuminated by hundreds of candles. Even the colossal crystal chandelier was replaced by a massive candle chandelier. “Nice work Alerie. It looks beautiful,” Lyanna remarks.

“Thanks. There is my Bassanio,” Alerie says pointing towards Mace who looks puffier than ever in his outfit as a Venetian gentleman. Next to him is Jaime, who looks handsome as Lord Macbeth.

“Ladies, looking lovely as ever,” Mace remarks and bows trying to imitate the mannerisms of the era. Ashara and Lyanna giggle while Alerie rolls her eyes. The music starts shortly and couples start waltzing in the ballroom.

“I don’t think there was waltz in Elizabethan period,” Lyanna says.

“It’s a St. A party. Nobody cares about historical accuracy. It’s all about looking pretty.” Alerie replies. Soon Jon Connington asks Ashara for a dance and she happily agrees.

“Let’s join them,” Alerie says.

“Is he Othello?” Lyanna asks while heading to the dance floor.

“Yes, they came dressed as a couple,” Alerie tells her.

Jaime takes Lyanna’s hand in his and places the other slightly above her waist. As they start twirling to the music, she sees her best friend dressed as a Lord from the medieval era waltzing with her and she bursts out laughing.

“You look funny,” she tells him.

“Haha. Very funny,” he shoots back but then he says softly, “You look beautiful.” For a moment she sees a familiar look in his emerald eyes, but it disappears before she can recollect when she had last seen it.

“Are you drunk?” she teases him.

“Shut up.”

“Yeah, that sounds like you,” Lyanna laughs.

He spins her and catches her firmly, holding her close to him. But while flashing his victorious smile, he loses his footing and almost steps on Lyanna’s gown.

“Step on my gown and I will kill you.”

“Always a ray of sunshine,” Jaime taunts her. “You would have been a terrible Lady.”

“Who said I would have ever wanted to be a lady? You know, you would have made a terrible Lord too.”

“A handsome Lord,” Jaime corrects her.

“A handsome Lord whose dancing skills can be described as rusty at best.”

“I’m pretty sure, I would have been a great swordsman. And that was the real deal then.”

“I sometimes wonder what my life would have been if I was born in medieval times,” Lyanna says as they sway to the music.

“Honestly I don’t care. I’m pretty sure life then was bleak. All they had in the name of entertainment was this and killing people in war.”

Lyanna sees Cersei asking Rhaegar for a dance and smirks. Jaime follows her gaze and says in a low voice as if almost speaking to himself “She has been obsessed with Rhaegar Targaryen her entire life. Grew up believing that she was going to marry him, until her childhood dream shattered the day he married Elia Martell,” he tries to search Lyanna’s face for something as he utters the last words.

“You should ask Melara Hetherspoon and Lysa Tully for a dance. They both have been ogling you for some time now.”

Jaime never bothers to look in their direction and instead teases, “I can say the same for Elbert Arryn.”

As the song draws to a close, Jaime says, “Let’s go and get drinks. Shall we?”. Lyanna nods. Jaime goes to get the drinks while Lyanna looks around.

“May I have the pleasure of dancing with you?” Rhaegar asks looking handsome as ever in the period costume. Earlier in the evening, the moment she had laid eyes on him she knew he had come dressed as Hamlet.

“Yes,” Lyanna smiles. She feels her heart beating a little faster as he takes her hand in his. As he holds her, Lyanna remarks his posture is regal and elegant.

“I see I’m not the only one dressed here as my favourite Shakespearean character,” he says.

“You remember?” she asks a little astounded that Rhaegar still remembers her rambling on that gala night about A Midsummer Night's Dream.

“Of course. You look beautiful,” he says while looking at her. And as his eyes travel over her form Lyanna can feel her cheeks burning.

“You make a handsome prince yourself.” he smiles at the compliment.

“I think your friend there is angry that I stole you from him.” Lyanna follows his gaze to see a scowling Jaime, standing there with two drinks in his hands.

“No, he is just jealous of your beautiful hair. He’ll survive,” she says. She’ll make it up to him later. But right now, she will enjoy this moment, she tells herself.

“Ideally, Waltz does not fit the time period.” he quietly remarks.

“I know right.” 

Twirling with Rhaegar to Künstlerleben, in the grand ballroom made iridescent by hundreds of candlelight, makes her feel like a Disney Princess even though she has been to plenty of balls before. “It’s so dreamy,” she thinks out loud.

“And to think that we exchanged this way of life for sweaty nightclubs.” 

“Nightclubs are also fun,” she says and he looks at her as if he is judging her. ”What, I like nightclubs and I like this too. Why can’t people like both?”

“Fair point.”

“Maybe someday we’ll go there and I can show you how to have a good time.” she teases him. She had to admit she had started to love, teasing him.

“Okay. But there is a charm in this,” he says as he spins her and then catches her “which will never be there in a modern nightclub. This is how people romanced earlier,” he continues while himself being mesmerized from the notion, “A flutter of an eyelid here, a hand brushing against another there, running your knuckles along their dresses’ silhouettes, few stolen kisses. And that was all you needed to fall in love.”

“Sounds romantic,” she says looking into his bottomless indigo eyes. Lyanna reminds herself not to get lost in there.

“I wonder what my life would have been had I lived in medieval times.”

“I’m pretty sure you’d be a prince or a king.”

“No. I think I would have been a bard. Singing songs with my harp.”

“And making women swoon everywhere.” he chuckles at her teasing him. “Please tell me you stole more cupcakes from the dining hall.”

“Umm, No.”

“Rhaegar Targaryen you’re breaking my heart.”

“And I thought you had no penchant for theatrics.”

“I like this sassy Rhaegar more than the brooding Rhaegar you usually are around people” he laughs at her. “Although, you’re charming in both your avatars.” For a fleeting moment, he tries to search for something in her face, before she is spun again by him. She sees Cersei eyeing them and scoffs.

The music picks up the pace and they glide around the dancefloor. With every move, he proves that he is a skilled and elegant dancer. Waltzing with Rhaegar feels like floating, almost as effortless as breathing, as if they have been doing this forever.

“How closely did you pay attention during your ballroom training?” he asks.

“Why?”

“I was thinking of switching to Viennese Waltz.”

“Okay. In the middle of the song?” she says uncertainly and looks around the room.

“Why? No rule says that we can’t” he smiles. “I thought you were all about having fun. What did you say, ‘Live in the moment’,” he says with a playful smile flitting across his face.

“You know, you’re really coming out of your shell.”

“You poked the bear.” he teases and she laughs at this. They transition to Viennese Waltz with their swift rotational moments as the music speeds up and she can feel everyone’s eyes on them. Lyanna can hear her skirts rustling with every twirl, she is thankful that Ashara made her wear heels despite her protests. As the song draws to close, she feels like she is waking up from a dream that she does not want to end.

“Can I have another dance?” he asks as if he can read her mind.

“Yes,” she replies softly.

Dancing to Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake she almost feels like Odette gliding on the lake.

“Shall we do a lift?” he asks her

“Someone is feeling very adventurous today.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Between the twirling and the whisking, as the music descends into a crescendo, he swiftly lifts her as if she weighs like air. As her feet touch the ground again, she can hear a few gasps from the audience. The next time he lifts her in the air, she can hear a whoo-hoo which she is pretty sure is from Alerie. Looking into Rhaegar’s perfectly chiselled face she savours every moment of the dance as if this were their last.

As the song draws to an end, she finds they have waltzed towards her friends, away from the dancefloor. “Here comes Elbert.” she hears Alerie’s voice.

“I won’t clog up the queue of boys waiting to dance with you anymore,” he says as he looks in Elbert’s direction. “Thank you for the dance,” he says and swiftly leaves before she can say something. She sees Elbert approaching and grumbles under her breath.

“Lyanna, will you dance with me?” Elbert asks.

“Yes,” Lyanna obliges. While being whisked away from the dancefloor, she notices Alerie and Jaime looking in her direction, talking about something, and then Jaime looking away.

“If you like her, you need to tell her,” Alerie says looking towards a scowling Jaime. “Before someone swoops her away,” she says, turning her gaze towards Lyanna and Elbert. But Jaime instead turns to look in Rhaegar’s direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been thinking for some time about changing the title of the fic to 'Dancing on the Edge'. Would love to hear your opinion on that. Just a heads-up the next chapter update might be a little slower. But I'm not abandoning this or putting it on hiatus. I'm excited for the upcoming r/l week and might try my hand at writing a one-shot. Also I'm on Twitter and tumblr as @winterstorm56 and would love to make new fandom friends.
> 
> Would really appreciate your feedback on anything and everything (otherwise it just feels like me rambling in the voids of internet)
> 
> xoxo


	7. Feelings suck, so does families

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This song served as a big inspiration for this chapter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro51SuLyh8A
> 
> A shoutout to the lovely @myblackeyedboy for being my beta
> 
> Ages for reference:  
> Lyanna , Jaime, Cersei, Ashara:20  
> Ned, Robert:22  
> Rhaegar, Aurthur: 26  
> Jon Connington: 25  
> Tyrion: 17  
> Mace Tyrell :24  
> Elbert Arryn :21  
> **will update as characters make their appearances

Lyanna felt the winds whipping her face, her hair flying as she dug her heels deeper and tightened the reins and her mare picked up pace. With the thunderous sound of the hooves matching the beat of her heart while kicking up dust along the trail, she felt truly alive. 

Looking sideways, she found Jaime trailing behind her, gasping for breath as she went flat out. 

“Having trouble keeping up, Lannister?” she hollered, to which Jaime said something but his voice was drowned by the sound of the hooves.

Lyanna had beaten Jaime to the stream, their makeshift finish line. A few seconds later Jaime appeared. After unmounting, she gently patted her horse as it gulped down water from the stream. “How did it feel to get your ass kicked?” 

“Lyanna, you were amazing on horseback. You ride like a Northman,” he said smiling. And involuntarily she remembered every boy she had beaten and their hostile reaction to it. Some like Robert had even demanded a rematch. But instead, Jaime stood there happy and beaming with pride.

“Well, I’ve beaten Brandon who’s half horse himself. That’s saying something, you know. I wonder if I’ll be able to beat his ass again when he’s here this week.”

She had been unable to hide her excitement ever since Brandon had called and informed her that he was going to be in King’s Landing for a business-related trip. She had thought she wouldn’t be reuniting with her pack before winter break, but in a few hours Brandon would be here.

“About that, I think it’s best if I go back to the hotel while your brother is here.”

“No, Jaime. You live with me. And I’m sure Brandon can make do with Ned’s empty room for a while.”

“You sure, it’s a good idea? Given the love between Starks and the Lannisters,” he asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, just be more Jaime and less Lannister.”

“What do you mean? I’m feeling a little offended right now.”

“Just tone down your smugness and your posh vibes. And don’t walk around like you own the entire Westeros and you should be fine. Also, don’t ever mention to him that we slept together.”

“Why?”

“Because you don’t want your pretty nose to break. Brandon is just weird with the guys I date or have dated.”

“But we haven’t dated.”

“Right, I haven’t dated your sister but I may have fucked her once or twice does sound better,” she teased as Jaime groaned.

Driving to the airport Lyanna had a big smile plastered on her face thinking of the surprise her brother was going to get. She had earlier told Brandon to simply get a cab to the Stark Penthouse. Standing in the arrivals area she held out a “Dickhead Brother” placard as she waited for him. When Brandon spotted her with the placard, he barked his signature laugh and within a few seconds she was being spun in the air followed by a bear hug from him. 

“I’ve missed you, big brother.”

“I missed you too, Lya.”

“Nice sign you’ve got there.”

“Only telling the truth,” she said and stuck out her tongue.

On their way to the penthouse, Brandon blared punk rock numbers as Lyanna was driving and it brought back memories of the countless times they’ve done this before, sans Ned or Benjen in the back this time.

“So what business stuff are you here for?”

“A business deal negotiation, sort of,” he added nervously.

“Wow, two years ago you were either in bar brawls or chasing around some girl and now Dad trusts you enough to send you alone for business negotiation. I say, not bad Brandon.”

“Dad was a little pissed when he heard about you and Robert.”

“I bet he was banking on our relationship to close that deal with Baratheon Industries.”

“Well, you know him.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“What’s your opinion of it?” she wanted to know where Brandon stood on the matter.

“Well his anger is understood, that deal is really important for us. And your relationship would have definitely helped.” Lyanna raised her eyebrow at him, to which he quickly replied “Yes, but you were right too in dumping him.”

“Brandon the diplomat, look at that,” she scoffed.

“No one cheats on my little sister. When I see that bastard, I’m going to break his face.”

“No, you won’t. He’s not my problem anymore. Also, this wasn’t the first time he cheated on me and would have definitely not been the last time had we continued dating.”

“Oh.”

“Ned didn’t tell you or dad that, did he?” The car door bore the brunt for Ned’s doing as she slammed it hard.

Getting into the building she realized she hadn’t told Brandon about Jaime yet.

“There’s one more thing I need to talk to you about. Umm Jaime Lannister…” she waited for her brother’s reaction.

“What about it? Are you dating him?” he yelled.

There it was the meltdown she had been waiting for. “No. He’s just my friend. Best friend actually.”

“A Lannister best friend, you better watch out Lya.” She sighed as it reminded her of the conversation she had with Ned a few months ago.

“When I was alone here a lot of shit went down and he was with me throughout. Also, he’s not like the rest of them.” Brandon didn’t look convinced which prompted her to go on. “He’s kind of breaking away from his family and currently he’s living in our guest room. Just for a while.”

“Already rising in my opinion by the minute.”

“Great, please promise me you won’t break his face or anything,” she pleaded as the elevator opened and they stepped into the foyer.

XXXXXXXXXX

“So, tell me everything that I’ve missed at Winterfell,” she asked as she stirred the Frappuccino with her straw.

“Well, not much really. With everyone gone, it’s been quiet. And dad keeps me busy, working at the office.” Lyanna’s face fell slightly as she had expected more. Sensing that Brandon continued, “Old Nan still yells at me for wearing shoes to bed. Fat Tom is getting fatter and slower by the day. And Farlen found some husky pups in the Wolfswood. They’re real ferocious, cute little bastards. And Stormy misses you badly. When Barbrey takes her out for a ride some days she behaves but some days she really acts up.”

Lyanna’s heart bled thinking of her mare Stormy, “Give my thanks to Barbrey, will you?”

Before she could ask more about Barbrey, Brandon quickly changed the subject. “Enough about Winterfell, how are things here?”

“Pretty much the same. Same people, same classes, same professors. Nothing new. However, we did a nice play a week back, but I can see from the yawn on your face that you’re not interested,” She said, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Catelyn Tully, she goes to your uni right?”

“Yes,” she threw him a suspicious look.

“What do you think of her?” he asked sheepishly.

“Well, she is nice but too boring, if you ask me. Kind of goody two shoes, always followed around by her whack job little sister and a skinny weird looking kid whose name I can’t remember. Why do you ask.”

“Because I’m supposed to sort of date her.” And with those words, she could feel the coffee inside her mouth threatening to choke her. 

“Are you okay?” Brandon asked a coughing Lyanna.

“Do I look okay? I almost choked because of your stupid news, so no I’m not okay. And what the fuck does ‘supposed to date’ mean?” but as the words left her mouth and she saw his guilty face and remembered his words that he was here for a business negotiation she realized with horror what it meant.

“What the fuck Brandon? Tell me it’s not what I am thinking,” she yelled and several people in the coffee shop turned around to look at them.

“Lya calm down. You know dad. And it’s not that big of a deal.”

“I can’t believe dad put you up to this.”

“It’s not just dad. Hoster Tully wants it too. This will benefit both families. They have some contacts that can help us with that energy contract we’re dying to get. And we can help them close their deal with Arryns.”

“And what about you? What about Catelyn?”

“I am okay with it. So is Catelyn. We both want to help our families. It’s really not that big a deal that you’re making it to be.”

She looks at Brandon’s long face, dumbfounded. She had expected someday her father would ask one of her siblings for a match that would give them political or business advantage. Despite all the modernity, Westerosi nobility still clung to some of their archaic ways and while she knew Ned would always follow his father’s word like a command, she had always counted on Brandon to rebel with her. 

Afterall it was Brandon and her, who had the wolf’s blood. It was Brandon and her, who always spoke their minds. It was Brandon and her, who had always followed their heart without thinking about the consequences. 

It had always been them against the world, or so she had thought. And now she knew, she had thought wrong. And it was the betrayal from Brandon that stung the most.

“Seriously? Not that big of a deal! Are you kidding me?” she yelled, not caring who overheard. For all she cared at that moment the world could burn in hell. 

“It’s really not. It’s like Tinder except here our parents are setting us up.”

“You meet people on Tinder for fucking, not for breeding. Hope you realize that.” She said and stormed out of the coffee shop.

“Lyanna…… Lyanna. Mind your language.” Brandon yelled back as he followed her into the car

“If you’re trying to be Rickard Stark 2.0 then next time go for ‘That is no way to speak, young lady’,” she said imitating her father’s voice.

“I really don’t know why you are getting so worked up about this.” 

“You don’t get it do you,” she scoffed. “You’re fucking all of us over. Yes, you are. You’re setting an example by marrying for the family and dooming the rest of us. All of us would be expected to follow in your footsteps can’t you see!” She could very well picture her father telling her that she wasn’t special, that if Brandon could do it why couldn’t she.

“You’re overthinking Lya.”

“Am I?” she yelled.

“Yes. And even if you had to marry someone that dad picks, so what? We all have our duty to our family.” And with those words Lyanna’s blood started to boil.

“And what about your duty to your girlfriend Barbrey? Remember her? Does she even know?”

“I told her before coming here,” he said nonchalantly.

“So, she gets tossed out, but you don’t give a fuck because you got a new toy,” and suddenly she couldn’t take it anymore. She pulled the car to the side of the road and yelled, “Get out. Get out and get a cab to the penthouse because I can’t deal with you right now.”

Lyanna shifted in her bed uncomfortably hoping to fall asleep, but sleep seemed to evade her today. She wondered whether Brandon was back from his date with Catelyn yet. They hadn’t talked to each other ever since she had thrown him out of the car. With the pretext of getting water, she went downstairs to check on him.

Finding his room empty, she wondered whether the date went really well or was the date so terrible that her brother ditched it for a party. As she was drinking water in the kitchen, she heard the elevator ding and a drunk Brandon whistling ‘The Bear and the Maiden Fair’.

Lyanna could tell he was in a very good mood which confirmed her worst fears.

“What are you doing up so late?” he asked as their eyes met.

“I was just here to get some water.”

“No. Your nosy ass stayed up to find out how my date went.”

“Yes. So? Looks like someone had an awesome first date.”

“Yeah. But if you’re going to pick a fight again, I’m leaving before you can ruin my mood.”

“No. Don’t worry, I won’t. So, tell me how did it go?”

“It was amazing Lya. Cat’s so nice and so different.” 

_One date and you already have a nickname!_

“Polite and courteous, like a proper lady.” She was tempted to butt in and remind his brother how that had never been his type, but instead she decided to keep her mouth shut. “I took her out to dinner on a yacht and she said it was so romantic. She was so happy, you should’ve seen her face. It lit up like all those candles. And we danced a little. It was all very beautiful.”

Scented candles, dinner on a yacht that didn’t sound like Brandon but she decided to keep her mouth shut. She was happy for her brother, some part of her really was, but there was also this part, which was scared for her if everything went perfectly.

She didn’t want to ruin Brandon’s mood but she also couldn’t shake off the fear that was taking hold of her. Instinctively she found herself going towards the only safe space she had known for a while. She knocked on Jaime’s room but on not getting a response peeked and saw him on his phone with his earbuds in. 

Walking towards him she heard a low scream from him, “What the fuck Lyanna, are you trying to scare me to death?”

“I knocked, you were plugged in, so it’s not on me.” She motioned him to scoot and got in the bed under the comfortable blanket. _Did their guestroom always have such comfortable bedding or did Jaime bring in his Lannister stuff?_

“I see you’re still worried over Brandon.” Jaime said, putting his phone away.

“Yes. His first date was apparently amazing with Catelyn and I’m happy for him but I’m just really losing my mind, Jaime. What if everything works out perfectly for them? What if they get married? Dad would definitely come for me and Ned next. I just know it.”

“They’ll want me to marry some stupid Lordling just because it gives Stark Industries an edge. I mean am I supposed to just throw away my life so my family can profit? I just ….I just….”

“Hey, calm down. Nobody’s forcing you to marry anyone. Okay?”

“Not yet. You don’t know my dad and his ambitions.”

“Hello, I’m a fellow member of ‘Terrible and Ambitious Dads Club’ remember? Terribly cold, ambitious, would sell his children for his gains. Nah doesn’t sound anything like my father,” he joked and managed to bring a faint smile on Lyanna’s anxious face.

“Listen, nobody will force you to marry anyone against your will. And if worst comes to worst then I’ll be waiting outside the church with a car ready to take you away,” he offered and a big smile popped up on Lyanna’s face.

“Well, technically you’ll be waiting outside a Godswood.”

“Godswood it is then.” 

With her head resting over Jaime’s broad shoulders while being tucked in under the cosy blanket Lyanna felt she was at peace for the first time that week. She loved that regardless of how turbulent her feelings became Jaime could always calm her down. He always knew the right words that could comfort her. And sometimes it was not even the words just him being there was more than enough.

Lyanna did not have any intention of leaving the bed but she knew falling asleep beside Jaime with Brandon present in the house won’t be the wisest decision. Especially with Brandon’s knack for picking fights with anyone he thought was hitting on her sister. Alas, she slowly dragged herself towards her room.

* * *

Lyanna gulped down the wine wishing it was something stronger. Looking around the dinner table she found Catelyn and Brandon fawning over each other and rolled her eyes. She would have loved to skip this awkward Tully-Stark scam of a family dinner but Hoster Tully himself had flown in from the Riverlands for this. The latter was really bothering her because it was a testament to how rapidly this relationship had progressed over the last few days.

Catelyn gushed over Brandon giving them a second by second play of their first date. “And then before I knew it there was a string quartet on deck playing, ‘Let me drink your beauty’.”

“Wow, that’s so romantic,” Lysa said mesmerized, hanging on to every word her elder sister said. She quickly stole a glimpse in the direction of the skinny kid who they called Little Finger who was busy staring daggers at Brandon.

“Lyanna, Brandon, have you tried the trout. I brought this fresh from the Trident.” Hoster offered.

“It’s really good,” Lyanna replied hoping her expressions were convincing enough.

She observed Catelyn completely taken by Brandon blushing every time he looked in her direction, Petyr silently pining after her and Lysa longingly staring at Petyr _._

 _Gods, this is pathetic_. Shaking her head, she emptied the remaining contents of the wine glass in one go. Lyanna would probably need to go through a few more of these in order to survive this dinner, she reasoned to herself. She noticed Catelyn staring at her, probably for her unladylike drinking, and Brandon raising an eyebrow at her, probably his dumb way to tell her to stop drinking but she didn’t care anymore.

The love birds soon became engrossed in their own world and Hoster Tully proudly beamed at the couple. She knew her father would expect the same from her when the time came. But she wasn’t sure if she would be able to play the part of the dutiful daughter as well as Catelyn.

Why should she? Why would she? Shouldn’t she get a choice in this? She imagined herself in place of Catelyn, some Lordling sitting next to her trying to impress her, maybe someone like Albert Arryn or maybe someone like Robert Baratheon. The thought of Robert sitting next to her, her father expecting the match made her sick to her stomach. She could feel her anxiety clawing away at her again.

“Clearly, you don’t want them to be together,” Petyr whispered in her ear.

“Yes, so?”

“We can do something about that,” he said with a ghost of a smile on his face.

“Fuck off, freak,” she said a little louder than she intended to. Lysa turned to look at them. As much as she was upset with her brother’s relationship, she would never do anything to sabotage it. After all, they were a pack.

“Is everything okay?” Catelyn asked concerned.

“I’m feeling a little sick. I think I’d better go home,” she said trying to politely excuse herself.

“Maybe you had a bit too much wine,” Petyr snarkily suggested.

“I think it’s the fish,” she retorted back. “Anyways, I’m going to go. Thanks for the lovely dinner, Mr Tully. Bye Catelyn,” she said and quickly hurried to her car.

She felt sick to her stomach thinking about how she was just going to end up being a pawn on the chessboard. No, she couldn’t let that happen. She deserved better than that. But what if she couldn’t do anything about it.

What if the rest of her life was going to be dictated by her father and then her husband? Them changing the course of her life, just for their profit or their alliance. No, she wouldn’t let that happen. But how would she stop them?

 _Lyanna, calm down, she_ told herself. But it was of no use. She felt as if she was going to be sick from worrying. All she wanted to do then was to lie down somewhere. But she knew even that wouldn’t help.

The only person who could help her now, who could calm her down was Jaime. 

She called him, driving on her way to the penthouse. But the calls went straight to voicemail. Panicking she didn’t know what to do next. The feeling that had started in the pit of her stomach was taking over the rest of her body, paralysing everything even her thoughts.

_I can’t do this._

_I’m losing my mind._

_I need Jaime._

Convinced that Jaime was the only person who could help her she tried to call Tyrion but the calls went to voicemail again. Maybe Jaime was with him. If only she could get hold of Tyrion.

She remembered Tyrion mentioning a rave that he was throwing on the Street of Silk. 

The building appeared dilapidated from outside. The bouncer ushered her to a basement that looked like a deconstructed warehouse from the inside. Drowning in flashing neon lights she tried to spot Tyrion or Jaime but failed. She made her way through the sea of sweaty bodies dancing to the blaring EDM, bumping into few along the way.

“Care for a drink?” a guy offered. She said no and made her way to the bar. 

Waving, she caught the attention of one of the bartenders there.

“Where can I find Tyrion Lannister?” she yelled at the top of her lungs but the bartender was unable to hear her over the music. “Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion” she yelled again but it was of no use.

“He can’t hear you.” She found a voice laced with a Dornish accent whispering in her ears. “Try pointing to your choice of poison,” he cooed.

“I’m looking for someone.”

“I’m here,” he offered. There was something in his smile that made her smile back.

“Oberyn you’re missing all the fun. Let’s go.” A girl with olive skin soon dragged him to the dance floor.

She saw a bouncer passing by and approached him, “I’m looking for Tyrion, Tyrion Lannister.”

He looked uncertainly at her and muttered “I don’t know.”

“Please I’m his and Jaime’s friend. I’ve been calling him please,” she pleaded.

“Okay. Wait at the bar. I’ll find him and give him the message.”

She stood there watching other people live their best life, while she scrambled to have some control over her life. With every second ticking by she felt as if she was getting closer to the end of the aisle at the church, her father’s choice standing at the end. And for a split second, she imagined it to be Robert and her darkest fears reared its ugly head again.

She had played by the rules, been a good daughter, maybe not the best but she had tried. But what was that going to get her? It didn’t matter what she did, she would always be a pawn in their game.

No, she was done playing by their rules.

This was her life and she was going to do as she pleased. She wasn’t going to let anyone decide for her anymore.

“Looks like you need a drink.” It was the same boy with the Dornish accent. This time Lyanna looked at him, drank in his features illuminated for a second in the neon lights. He wore a white shirt, with only the lower three buttons buttoned up, showing a number of silver chains dangling on his neck, encircling a prominent and large red viper tattoo. He wore ripped jeans and running sneakers with large rings on both his hands. And his breath, it smelled of whisky and trouble. 

“Yes, I do,” she found herself saying. If she was going to rebel, she might as well do it in style. He had an aura of danger about him that somehow made him irresistible.

“We Dornish drink only the best stuff,” he said handing over a half-filled glass of scotch.

They clinked their glasses and she teased “Bottoms up?”

“I already like you,” he cooed.

As she gulped down the scotch, she felt the alcohol numbing her entire body and even her thoughts. It came as a relief as she would no longer be haunted by the thoughts of her future, at least for a while.

“Let’s get another drink,” she said to which he happily obliged.

“Oberyn, here you are again. We were looking for you. Bring your girl and come to the dance floor,” It was the same girl from before scrutinizing Lyanna from head to toe.

They joined his friends on the dance floor. The girl who had called them was Ellaria, there were two other boys Mors, Maron and a girl Tanselle with them.

Dancing in the crowd with their sweaty bodies touching, she felt Oberyn placing a soft kiss on her ears. She turned to face him and he placed a wet kiss on her lips which soon turned into something passionate. Coming up for air, she saw Ellaria had taken off her shirt, tying it around her waist. The way Ellaria and Maron were kissing each other, she wondered if they were going to do it on the dancefloor itself.

Dancing to the music, with the alcohol dulling her senses she felt freer than before. It was funny how even though her body was losing control gradually she still felt more in control of her destiny than when she was at that cursed dinner. She wouldn’t think of it anymore, she told herself. She saw Ellaria dancing erotically to the beats, whose one hand snaked towards Maron grabbing his cock and with another, she grabbed Tanselle’s boobs while swinging to the beat.

The colourful lights, the heat, the dancing bodies around her moving to the music without a care in the world, she felt liberated and carefree. It was almost poetic how she had found peace in the loudest of the places.

Maron was handing out white pills to them. He hesitated before offering one to Lyanna.

“Go ahead, take it,” Oberyn whispered in her ears.

“She looks scared,” Ellaria laughed and it enraged her.

“I’m not scared,” she declared and as she tried to reach for the pill, she saw Ellaria taking it out of Maron’s palm.

“Come and get it, then” she teased Lyanna placing it on her tongue. She saw the rest of them encouragingly smiling at her.

“She’s not gonna bite,” Obara smirked.

Stepping up to her, Lyanna felt Ellaria’s tongue sliding in her mouth, placing the pill and kissing her deeply with tongue and teeth. Ending the kiss Ellaria winked at her and turned her attention towards Maron again.

She saw Oberyn’s mischievous smile momentarily illuminated by the neon light and next moment he was kissing her passionately. It felt as if time had slowed down, as if everything and everyone was moving in slow motion.

They were drinking.

They were laughing.

They were dancing.

They kissed.

And then they were dancing again.

Soon everything started to jumble up in her head, it felt like her head was underwater and all the voices were floating around her.

“Lyanna,” she heard a familiar voice calling her out. The boy looked a lot like Tyrion.

“Lyanna, let’s go,” he said grabbing her hands but she just stood there. She liked it here, the dancing lights, the dancing people, her numbed senses. The music, loud enough so she couldn’t hear her thoughts. She didn’t want to leave.

“No,” she said loudly pulling back her hand.

“Lyanna, let’s go,” she heard the boy again.

“She said no. Leave her alone,” she thought she heard Oberyn’s voice.

“Fuck off,” another girl said with a heavy Dornish accent.

“I think it’s time you all leave.”

“Fine. But she’s coming with us.” She heard the floating angry voices around her.

Whether she saw or she thought she saw Maron pull out a knife, she wasn’t sure.

“I’m sorry, you guys can stay as long as you want. It was a small misunderstanding, nothing that all of us can’t forget.” And then she thought the boy left.

Oberyn handed her another glass. What it was she could no longer tell, but she drank it anyway. For how long they danced after that she couldn’t tell either. Honestly, she couldn’t tell anything anymore.

She felt Oberyn pushing her against the wall, looking at her longingly. At that moment, Lyanna wanted him too. She smiled back somewhat dazed and he kissed her deeply, his fingers gripping her hair while pinning her to the wall with the other hand. Even though she was high, she felt some part of her brain hesitating. As if she knew it was a bad decision, but this was her life and she would rather choose trouble for herself than not have a choice.

His warm breath tickled her skin. She felt it getting all hot and heavy. He continued kissing her while unbuttoning her shirt. Instinctively she followed suit, unbuttoning his. The way he kissed made her dizzy. He unzipped his pants. Lyanna wasn’t sure if she wanted to be fucked in a rave publicly, but then she saw Oberyn smile and realized maybe she wanted to. She felt his hands inside her pants, playing, touching, teasing, her wetness. She bit his lips and she could almost taste blood.

“Someone’s very wet,” he whispered in her ears gently kissing them.

His hands moved around teasing her, and then slid upwards unzipping her pants.

Suddenly she saw someone jump on Oberyn, punching him.

It was all too sudden and the force was too much, Lyanna found herself falling too. Through her foggy vision, she thought she saw Jaime and Tyrion standing over her before passing out.

* * *

Lyanna woke up with her head pounding. Opening her eyes, she recognized her room but with the curtains drawn she couldn’t tell if it was day or night. She was still in last night’s clothes. She laid there staring at the ceiling, trying to recollect everything that happened.

How did she end up here? Who brought her home?

_Please don’t let it be Brandon!_

She remembered going to a rave looking for Jaime, meeting Oberyn, they danced and made out. She got high, she definitely did pills and after that things became foggy. There was definitely more drinking and dancing.

Did she almost have sex with Oberyn whilst publicly pinned against a wall? She remembered someone abruptly punching Oberyn or was it just in her head?

She needed to find out what happened yesterday. But who would give her the answers?

Her mouth was parched and tasted of whisky. Finding her water bottle empty she slowly made her way downstairs. Maybe eating something would help.

The dark sky outside the window downstairs told her she had slept off the entire day.

“You’re finally up,” Jaime said looking up from the television.

“My head is still throbbing,” she mumbled.

“There’s food in the fridge. I’d ordered some pizza hoping you’d be up for lunch,”

“Nothing like reheated pizza.” Looking at Jaime’s face for a moment she had a wild thought that it was Jaime who had punched Oberyn yesterday.

“Yesterday was wild. I can barely remember what happened, it’s all in bits and pieces.”

“You’ve got to be more careful Lya.”

“So, who brought me here?”

“Seven hells. You don’t remember anything, do you? You scared the shit out of me Lyanna. Tyrion called me and told me you were in trouble and I had so many missed calls from you so I went straight to whatever that place was.”

“Please don’t tell me it was you who punched Oberyn!” her own screaming voice triggered her headache further.

“Of course, it was me. I should have beaten the shit out of that asshole.”

“Noooo Jaime. Why?”

“What do you mean why? That bastard drugged you and tried to take advantage of you.”

“What!! Noooo. Yes, they offered me some pills, but I took them willingly. No one forced me to do anything. He never forced me.”

“You were in no state to give consent. I can’t believe you’re defending him.”

“And I can’t believe that you’re telling me when I’m capable or not of giving consent. You’re just like the rest of them, trying to decide for me. It was my choice. It was my bloody choice and you took it away from me.”

“I’m sorry I ruined your plans of having sex against a wall in a rave.”

“Yes, well that was my choice to make not yours. Who asked you to play a knight? I don’t remember asking you to come and save me.”

“Yeah? Then why did I have twenty missed calls from you?”

Lyanna was speechless even if just for a moment. It was true she had wanted him to save her but from her anxiety not from making bad decisions at a rave.

She was irritated, mad and hungover and all she wanted to do then was hurt Jaime. So, she said something that she knew for sure would do the job. “You didn’t have a problem when I was drunk and fucking you.”

“What! You didn’t just say that Lya!”

“Guess what I just did.”

“You know what I’m so done with you and your shit. You keep whining about how your life sucks, when half of the time you’re yourself trying to ruin it.”

As she saw Jaime storm off, she quietly walked to her bed and collapsed.

* * *

The cold war between Lyanna and Jaime had continued for the last two days. Thankfully, Brandon was too overjoyed with his new relationship to observe that there was something wrong. And while she was happy that Brandon spent most of the time with Catelyn and out of her hair. She still ended up pissed when she had to hear Brandon rambling about it.

She didn’t wish Brandon or Catelyn to be broken-hearted especially Catelyn, she knew her brother could bounce back quickly from a broken heart. But at the same time, she couldn’t lie to herself that she wanted them to be together.

“Why does your face look like that?” Brandon asked.

“Like what?” she asked shifting uncomfortably in the limo.

“Like a sullen egg,” he said laughing loudly at his own joke.

“Remind me why I have to go to this damned gala, again.”

“Because you wanted to be the Stark in King’s Landing. Wasn’t that your excuse to come here?” he smirked.

“Yes, but surely I’m not needed now, that Brandon Stark the heir of the Stark Empire is here.”

“Shut up and please don’t create a scene today. It’s our last night together here, Cat’s really excited, so be a sport and don’t ruin it for us.”

“Sure, that’s what I do, I guess I ruin things for people,” she said softly remembering Jaime’s words.

“Are you okay, Lya?”

“Yes, I guess.”

‘Stop overthinking,” he said putting an arm around her and transforming into the older brother who had always loved her with all his heart. “Father is really proud of me. Just be happy for me? At least for today.”

“I am.” _I am just scared for me._

Lyanna quickly faked a smile as they pulled over at Tully's to pick up Catelyn. Catelyn looked beautiful in a beige gown that brought out the blue of her eyes complimented by her pretty auburn hair. She was a perfect lady, smiling at the guests, making polite conversations wherever needed, shyly stealing glances at Brandon and blushing and looking away whenever Brandon caught her. Whereas Lyanna fumbled around in the background in an ombre gown.

Catelyn was a natural. But Lyanna, she would never be able to do this. Gliding around the gala, pretending as if the heels weren’t killing her. Smiling and making japes instead of giving the guests a piece of her mind, coyly looking away instead of passionately kissing the man she loved. After all, subtlety had never been her strong suit. And she wondered why wasn’t just being her enough? Why did she need to be this socially accepted version of a lady?

The entire night, Catelyn couldn’t take her eyes off Brandon, Lyanna knew her brother had that effect on girls. Brandon looked sincere with his intentions for Catelyn but hadn’t that been the case for Barbrey too?

Every time she saw them gushing over each other with Hoster Tully hovering in the background looking proud, she thought of her father and what would be asked of her too. And the thought made her sick to the stomach. She loved her family, she did. But why would that mean she had to give up her dreams and hopes for herself.

She could feel the familiar feeling of anxiety bubbling in the pit of her stomach.

_Not here. Not now._

She needed to calm down. The last thing she wanted was a public meltdown in front of the Westerosi nobility. She wouldn’t let her father or Brandon have the satisfaction of telling her that she was still a child, that he should have never let her go to King’s Landing. Instinctively she tried to find Jaime before realizing that they were still fighting and this time he wouldn’t be there to comfort her. For a second, she even thought of trying to get his attention, but it seemed Jaime who was busy talking to Tyrion and Cersei keeping up his charade of a happy family actively avoided looking in her direction.

Tears welled up in her eyes and once again Lyanna found herself fleeing a gala night.

_But last time he was here. This time you have no one._

_No one._

All she wanted then was to run away somewhere far away from here.

She wanted to escape to someplace away from the prying eyes of the world where she could break down before picking up the broken pieces back again.

Lyanna kept walking on the streets in circles, for how long she had no idea. She found herself outside the gates of the planetarium buying the tickets of the last show. The planetarium seemed to be completely empty. She stared at the heavenly bodies projected on the ceiling half blinded by her tears.

Sitting there in the silence gazing at the refracted lights she found herself sobbing her heart out.

“Here, you can have my handkerchief.” She heard a familiar melodious voice whispering in her ear. It gave her goosebumps for even without turning she knew who it was. Rhaegar’s handkerchief smelled of some expensive cologne but regardless Lyanna still found it intoxicating just like its owner.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” she asked him wiping her tears. Some of her dried tears still stuck to her face.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. Instead I’m glad I was around otherwise how would you be wiping those pretty tears of yours?” And with that a small smile graced Lyanna’s lips.

“How long have you been here?”

“Pretty much since the last show.” He continued, “I come here sometimes to clear my head when life gets too heavy. The last two shows are mostly empty. No screaming children or noisy tourists. It’s almost as good as sitting underneath the sky on a clear night.”

“It’s beautiful here.” Lyanna had noticed for the first time since entering the planetarium how gorgeous it looked sitting there with the projection of hundreds of bright stars illuminating the night sky.

“I prefer sitting under actual stars beneath the skies of Summerhall. The view from there is breath-taking,” he said looking at her. “But on days like today when my life doesn’t allow me to escape there, I have to make do with this.”

_Escape? What does he need to escape from?_

“Do you love stargazing?”

“Loved it ever since I was a little boy. What about you?”

“Loved those bright little things. Loved the lore about them more. Sirius, that’s my favourite star.” she said pointing to the bright blue star in the constellation Ice Dragon. “Old Nan used to tell us all kinds of scary stories about Ice Dragon and its rider. I loved those stories. I think I still do. Every time I think of Sirius and Ice Dragon I think of the North and my home.”

“You miss the North, don’t you?”

“Terribly.”

“Then what brought you here, so far away from your home? If you don’t mind me asking.” She rolled her eyes at his words. Only Rhaegar could be open as a book one moment and be completely formal the next.

“I wanted to be a lawyer you know. Maybe someday have a practice of my own or maybe a partner in a reputed firm. But back then I was naïve and still believed that a girl from a Westerosi noble family could choose her own destiny.”

“Boys of Westerosi noble family don’t have that luxury either,” he scoffed and continued. “I wanted to be a musician, go to a music school but my father said what good would a Targaryen musician do to the world? ‘We are Targaryens and music is not our place, politics is.’ And here I am following in the footsteps of my father completing law school, hoping to be a Governor someday and maybe someday run for the president like my grandfather and his father before him.”

“It’s not fair.” The passion and the anger boiled her blood. “It’s really not fair. I get that we’re lucky to be in the top one percent, to have all the money and the luxury. But I would exchange all of that for freedom any day. I don’t want the trust fund; I’d rather bust my ass on a job and get to decide what I want to do with my life. I don’t want to live in a cage even though the cage is gilded. I want to live freely, fully, completely.”

She looked at Rhaegar and saw the same yearning for freedom in the depth of his indigo eyes.

“I know it sounds crazy but most days I feel like running away and never looking back. Like, disappear without a trace.”

Of course, Rhaegar was going to think she was crazy with this confession of hers. Except he didn’t.

“It’s not crazy. I almost did that, ran away from Westeros.” She looked at him amused, was this the same Perfect Rhaegar Targaryen with his perfect life and perfect face? Gods she needed to stop thinking about his perfectly chiselled face.

“I bought a one-way ticket to Essos, packed my bags and even wrote my letter to my parents with the satisfaction that they won’t be left heirless with Viserys by their side.”

“What happened?”

“Two days before leaving I found out that my father was going through a major mental health breakdown. He’d even turned abusive towards my mother and my little brother. I couldn’t abandon them here on their own so I told myself maybe later. But things just kept getting worse and before I knew it, I was being sold off to the Martells in order to secure their backing for my father’s campaign.”

For some reason, Lyanna always assumed Rhaegar’s marriage was a love match. And now that she knew it wasn’t, she wondered if he was unhappy. “You disappoint me. I always took you as the type to marry for love,” she joked. But somewhere underneath the statement, there was truth lurking that she hoped Rhaegar wouldn’t notice.

“Love is a luxury that people like us can’t afford,” he scoffed. “That’s what my mother told me the day before I got married. I was also told that it will get better, that slowly we’ll start to love one another. But we never did. They said that when you have kids you fall in love more. We had two but we’re still just two roommates raising a family together. I love Elia. I do but as a friend or companion and I don’t think that’s the way you should be feeling for your wife. But who cares as long as the Martells and the Targaryens get their end of the bargain.”

“We’re just pawns in their games? Aren’t we? Just another bargaining chip for our families.”

“Sadly yes.”

“And this continues for generations, forcing the next one and then the next. That’s how our families survive, crushing the hopes of the next generation, breaking their will to fit the mould. Heaven Forbid, should you resist! They’ll talk about Family honour and the Family name but I don’t see any honour, only a façade of honour built on lies.”

“Lies, lies and more lies. All of us here are drowning in lies. I’m so sick and tired of lying about my father’s mental health, lying about Viserys. Pretending that he is touring Summer Isles when in fact he’s just locked up in a rehab downtown. I’m sorry I’ve no idea why I’m burdening you by telling you all this.”

“Aren’t friends exactly for that? Or do you not think of me as a friend?” Lyanna teased him.

“Of course. Although honestly after our first encounter I never thought I would be able to redeem myself enough to be your friend one day.” At which Lyanna rolled her eyes.

“Well, surprisingly you redeemed yourself well enough. Also, your family isn’t the only one drowning in lies. I guess all of our families are. Three years back, Brandon was in a car accident. It was his fault, he was drunk returning home from a party. The man in the other car ended up in a coma, but no one even blinked because our family paid for all his children’ college fund. And after that we all pretended that it never happened. No one even talked about it. I mean I love Brandon but a man ended up in a coma and he walked away scot-free.”

“And it’s even worse here in King’s Landing. All here anyone ever does is lie. And I’m so sick and tired of all of it, of pretending that everything is okay when everything is falling apart. And I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this but I admire how honest, real and raw you are Lyanna. I‘ve never seen someone as honest and blunt as you and it is so refreshing.”

And with those words Lyanna felt butterflies in her stomach. She knew she shouldn’t but nonetheless she still felt it.

“You know I think you’re the first person ever who’s told me that they like my candidness. Everyone else just tells me to shut up and keep my opinions to myself.”

“Don’t ever do that. You’re a lion in a world full of sheep. Don’t change….”

“Actually, I’m a wolf in a world full of sheep,” she cut him mid-sentence and they both laughed. She wondered if Elia made him laugh like this. And as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she regretted it immediately.

“So where were you going to run off to in Essos?”

“I had everything planned. First, I was going to live in Bravos for a while. Earn money with my harp and singing, then move to Pentos. Live the Pentoshi life then travel to Myr and then Volantis. Hoping to fall in love with their cities, culture and maybe life itself. Well, this was the original plan but I guess life had some other plans for me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s okay. Now all those thoughts of freedom and freewill sound like a distant dream to me,” he said with a dried chuckle.

“But it doesn’t have to be. You can still choose the life you want for yourself.”

“It’s too late.”

“It’s never too late,” she said with a determined smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .....and I'm back. I know I said I was taking a little break but I got busy with big projects and two months turned to five months. Sorry for the late update and thank you for hanging in there if you're still here :)
> 
> Consider this an early xmas gift although I'll try my best to publish another chapter before xmas but I'm not making any promises. Happy holidays you guys :)
> 
> Would really appreciate your feedback on anything and everything (otherwise it just feels like me rambling in the voids of internet)
> 
> xoxo


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